A warship's many computers depend on a large number of cables and connections. A connector that appears secure during installation can fail to make proper contact or work loose in service. Hull vibration, engine operation, ship movement, and repeated heating and cooling all test the installation. Trials aim to expose those faults before the ship deploys. Finding a defect does not by itself establish fault on someone's part, because small connection problems can be difficult to eliminate across so many systems.
Notable Point · 18:17-19:21
Sea trials expose loose data connections
Vibration, movement, and temperature cycles can turn an apparently secure cable connection into an operational fault.