DST (dynamic shock test)

A dynamic shock test, in naval practice the full-ship shock trial, proves that a warship’s hull, machinery, and combat systems keep working after a non-contact underwater explosion (UNDEX). Explosive charges are detonated at decreasing standoff distances off the beam while the ship runs at trial conditions; instrumentation records shock response across foundations and equipment, validating the shock-hardened design and the Dynamic Design Analysis Method used in design. First-of-class shock trials follow NATO standards (STANAGs). Because live charges are costly and environmentally constrained, navies increasingly use phased seismic-airgun arrays to reproduce the shock wave. A failed item is redesigned and re-qualified before the class enters service.