Marine history

Rolls-Royce can trace its roots in the marine industry back as far as 1849 - a time span which includes the development of many ground breaking technologies, from the development of the controllable pitch propeller, tunnel thruster and nuclear propulsion for Royal Navy submarines - to marine aero-derivative gas turbines, waterjets and innovative offshore vessel designs.

Marine timeline

Milestones in the Rolls-Royce history of marine innovation.

1849
One of Sweden’s first railways requires a repair workshop; this workshop was the forerunner of Kamewa, the present Rolls-Royce AB.

1871
Brown Brothers, the Scottish marine engineering company is founded.

1905
Michell patents the tilting pad thrust bearing.

1916
Brown Brothers develops electro-hydraulic steering gear.

1917  
Martin Ulstein sets up Ulstein Mekaniske in Ulsteinvik, Norway - the start of what was to become the Ulstein Group.

1926  
Kamewa makes an epoch-making breakthrough manufacturing Kaplan turbines (with adjustable blades) for the Lilla Edet power station. The turbines were five times larger in diameter than previous Kaplan turbines.

1935
Liaaen (later acquired by Ulstein) develops the first controllable pitch propeller.

1935
Brown Brothers designs and installs the first successful active athwartship fin stabiliser.

1937  
Inspired by the Kaplan concept Kamewa tests its first hydraulically adjustable controllable pitch propeller.
Hydraulik, forrunner of Brattvaag, is granted a patent on the first hydraulic winch for engine-powered vessels.

1938
Marinised version of the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine fitted in Royal Navy prototype Motor Torpedo Boats.

1940
Kamewa Controllable Pitch Propellers enter naval service on 20 Swedish minesweepers.

1945
Production of anchoring and mooring systems started at Rauma in Finland and Brattvaag in Norway.

1946
First diesel engines delivered from Bergen.

1948
The liner M/S Los Angeles becomes the first commercial application of Kamewa Controllable Pitch Propeller technology - power is 7,000 hp per shaft.

1953
Rolls-Royce RM60 gas turbine at sea powering HMS Grey Goose.

1958
First Rolls-Royce Proteus powered fast patrol boat HMS Brave Borderer enters service.

1959  
Rolls-Royce manages the purchase of the UKs first submarine reactor from the US.

I960
First tunnel thruster fitted to train ferry M/S Princesse Benedikte.

1962
Kamewa feathering hub and super cavitating propeller introduced.

1965
Rolls-Royce begins operation of the Dounreay Submarine Prototype (DSMP) and PWR1 core A goes critical.

1966
HMS Valiant, powered by the Rolls-Royce PWR1 reactor enters service.
First run of the new Olympus TM1A marine gas turbine at Ansty.
First Aquamaster Azimuth thruster delivered.

1968
HMS Exmouth, the free world’s first all gas turbine warship at sea powered by Rolls-Royce Olympus and Proteus gas turbines.
The world’s largest hovercraft, the Proteus-powered SRN4 enters cross channel service.

1970
Tyne and Olympus gas turbines (24 ship sets) ordered for future Royal Navy ships.
Bird-Johnson controllable pitch propellers selected by US Navy.

1971
First Kamewa waterjet installed in Swedish landing craft.
First Ansty production Tyne marine gas turbine delivered to Royal Navy.

1972
Ansty commences long-term development work on Olympus and Tyne gas turbines.

1975
UT 704 Stad Scotsman, the first UT designed vessel delivered.

1974
Allison 501K gas turbine enters US Navy service for shipboard generation.

1979
The first ro-ro vessel of NVC design delivered.

1981
Ulstein Propeller introduces the swing-up azimuth thruster concept.

1985
Spey gas turbine enters service with the Royal Navy and Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force.

1986
Design and Build of the Royal Navy’s Shore Test Facility (Vulcan) for PWR2 completed to programme and budget.

1993
Kamewa waterjets selected for Singapore Navy patrol vessels.

1994
HMS Vanguard powered by Rolls-Royce PWR2 reactor enters service.

1997
RFA Fort Victoria and Fort George enter service each equipped with four Rolls-Royce electric dual-purpose replenishment-at-sea (RAS) rigs.
Five ferries powered by Bergen gas engines commence operation in Norway.

1998
Ulstein is acquired by Vickers plc. Together with Kamewa group, Brown Brothers and Michell Bearings they form Vickers Ulstein Marine Systems.

1999
Vickers plc acquired by Rolls-Royce.

2001
The intercooled and recuperated WR-21 gas turbine selected to power UKs Type 45 Destroyer, plus a package comprising Kamewa Adjustable Bolted Propellers and Brown Brothers steering gear and stabilisers.

2002
Bird-Johnson fixed pitch propellers selected for French Navy’s nuclear carrier, Charles de Gaulle and US Navy carrier Ronald Reagan.

2003
MT30 and RR4500 gas turbines selected to power US Navy’s DD(X) engineering demonstrator.
VT Controls acquired by Rolls-Royce.

2004
MT30 gas turbines and Kamewa 125Sll waterjets selected to power USS Freedom - LCS1.
Queen Mary 2 enters service propelled four Mermaid® pods, plus a package of stabilisers and mooring winches.

2005
Order placed for 500th UT Design vessel by Island Offshore - a UT 787 CD.
World’s largest waterjets - 2.35m dia - complete sea trials on the Techno-superliner.

2006
Safer Deck Operations and Bergen B32:40 CD diesels enter service on UT 712 L Olympic Octopus.
New Shanghai marine manufacturing centre opens.
PROMAS integrated propeller/rudder launched.

2007
MT30 gas turbines selected to power US Navy’s DDG1000, Zumwalt class destroyers and the Royal Navy’s Queen Elizabeth class carriers.
Kamewa XF5 high efficiency CPP hub introduced.

2008
UT 787 CD Island Wellserver commences well intervention services.
Scandinavian Electric Holdings acquired.
World’s first LNG powered cargo vessel ordered with Rolls-Royce propulsion system.

2009
Rolls-Royce powered Type 45 destroyer HMS Daring, commissioned.
UT 761 CD Far Samson commences operations with a world record bollard pull of 423 tonnes.
Rolls-Royce Marine HQ moves to Singapore.

2010
Bergen C26:33 gas engine commences development running.
ODIM ASA, specialists in automated handling solutions acquired.
HMS Astute, powered by PWR2 with long-life core commissioned