The U. S. Navy has long had a program to quiet ships to improve their combat effectiveness. The trucking industry has various on-going programs to reduce truck noise to meet various regulations, reduce operator fatigue and possible hearing loss, decrease community noise and annoyance, and improve operator recognition of warning signals. Although the two programs are vastly different in their basic motivation, dominant noise sources, frequencies of interest, receiver processing, and sound transmission medium, the methodology should be fundamentally similar. This paper, which reflects the views and experience of the author, describes the overall program, disciplines, and general approach used to quiet ships and, hopefully, will stimulate ideas from those engaged in reducing truck noise.
