US Navy contract for Rolls
BRITISH engineering group Rolls-Royce yesterday said it had won a contract to supply gas turbines and waterjets for up to 10 of the US Navy’s Littoral Combat Ships.
Rolls-Royce already supplies propulsion equipment for some of the Lockheed Martin-built vessels and the new deal extends this with one firm order and options on a further nine ships, Rolls said.
Neither company gave a value for the contract.
Rolls-Royce has had a successful start to the year, having already closed a deal worth more than £3bn with British Airways on 6 January.
Littoral Combat Ships are designed to operate in shallow waters close to combat zones on shore. Each ship will be fitted with two Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbines, allowing them to exceed speeds of 40 knots. “We are delighted that the Lockheed Martin design has been selected for an additional ten vessels in the LCS programme,” said Rolls-Royce president of naval, Andrew Marsh. “The Rolls-Royce equipment, including the MT30 gas turbines and waterjets, combine to give an effective and efficient propulsion system perfectly suited for these innovative, highly-manoeuvrable, state-of-the-art ships.”