Ship Self-Defense System (SSDS) is an integrated weapons system used aboard large U.S. Navy ships, such as Nimitz-class supercarriers and various amphibious assault ships, such as Wasp-class amphibious assault ships (LHD) and Dock landing ships (LSD). SSDS is an integrated combat direction system (CDS). SSDS follows an open architecture approach and uses existing shipboard radars and weapons systems, integrated under a Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) framework, to provide a cohesive CDS. The first SSDS designs were backfit onto existing US Navy ships.
SSDS runs on current generation COTS, PC-based computers and has a core operating system of Linux, offering flexibility due to its COTS and open architecture design.
Initial SSDS configurations were installed on LSD amphibious ships and were designated Mk 1 (Mark One). Follow-on designs being installed on aircraft carriers and other amphibious ships are being called Mk 2, with different modification (MOD) numbers denoting the type on each class of ship.
Delivered and integrated with SSDS is the AN/USQ-T46 Battle Force Tactical Trainer (BFTT), AN/USQ-T47 Battle Force Electronic Warfare Trainer (BEWT) and AN/USQ-T48 Tactical Simulator/Stimulator System (TSSS). BFTT is the Navy's premier shipboard combat system training system and brings an integrated single and multi-ship combat system training capability to the SSDS ship.