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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.
| 2008 | World's first LNG fuelled and Bergen-powered roro ordered. MT30-powered USS Freedom (LCS1) commissioned. Arctic/Antarctic research vessel design secured. Scandinavian Electric Holdings acquired. MT30 ordered to power new Royal Navy carriers. Rolls-Royce acquires Scandinavian Electric Holding, a supplier of system packages for hybrid and diesel-electric marine propulsion systems, continuing its growth strategy in the marine market. |
| 2007 | MT30 gas turbine selected for DDG 1000. 10-year contract for nuclear submarine support signed and 'contracting for availability' pioneered on RFA Argus. First Type 45 excels on sea trials. World's first LNG Bergen-powered ferries enter service. Rolls-Royce acquire U.S. naval architecture and engineering firm Seaworthy Systems Inc. to further improve its marine support services. |
| 2006 | Safer Deck Operations and Bergen 'Clean Design' B32:40 diesels enter service on UT 712 L Olympic Octopus. Shanghai manufacturing centre opens. PROMAS integrated propeller/rudder and stabilisation-at-rest launched. |
| 2005 | 500th UT Design vessel ordered, a UT 787 CD for Island Offshore. The World’s largest waterjets (2.35 metres in diameter) successfully complete sea trials on the Techno-Superliner. Bergen gas engines selected to power five coastal ferries. |
| 2004 | MT30 and Kamewa waterjets selected to power the Lockheed Martin Littoral Combat Ship (LCS). Queen Mary 2 enters service powered by four Mermaid pods, plus a package of stabilisers and mooring winches. |
| 2003 | MT30 and RR4500 gas turbines selected to power US Navy’s DD(X) engineering demonstrator. VT Controls acquired by Rolls-Royce. Bergen gas engine range extended to deliver powers from 2,200 to 8,500kW. |
| 2002 | Bird-Johnson fixed-pitch propellers selected for French Navy carrier Charles de Gaulle and US CVN Ronald Reagan. Bergen B32:40 diesel engines enter service. First Bergen C diesels delivered. Neptune retractable stabiliser launched. |
| 2001 | WR-21 gas turbines selected to power Royal Navy Type 45 Destroyers, plus Adjustable Bolted Propellers, steering gear and stabilisers. Azipull® pulling azimuth thruster introduced. |
| 1999 | Vickers plc acquired by Rolls-Royce and the Rolls-Royce marine business is formed. |
| 1998 | Ulstein is acquired by Vickers plc. Together with Kamewa group, Brown Brothers and Michell Bearings they form Vickers Ulstein Marine Systems. |
| 1997 | Crossley Pielstick diesels from Rolls-Royce power RFA Fort Victoria and Fort George. Astute class SSN ordered, powered by Rolls-Royce PWR2 with long-life core. |
| 1994 | HMS Vanguard powered by Rolls-Royce PWR2 reactor enters service. |
| 1993 | Kamewa waterjets selected for Singapore Navy patrol vessels. |
| 1986 | Design and build of the Royal Navy’s Shore Test Facility (Vulcan) for PWR2 completed to programme and budget. |
| 1985 | Spey gas turbine enters service with the Royal Navy and Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force. |
| 1981 | Ulstein propeller introduces the swing-up azimuth thruster concept. |
| 1979 | The first ro-ro vessel of NVC design delivered. |
| 1975 | UT 704 Stad Scotsman, the first UT designed vessel delivered. |
| 1974 | Allison 501K gas turbine enters US Navy service for shipboard power generation. |
| 1971 | First Kamewa waterjet installed in Swedish landing craft. |
| 1970 | Bird-Johnson controllable-pitch propellers selected by US Navy. |
| 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. |
| 1966 | HMS Valiant, powered by the Rolls-Royce PWR1 reactor enters service. |
| 1965 | Rolls-Royce begins operation of the Dounreay Submarine Prototype (DSMP) and PWR1 core-A goes critical. First Aquamaster Azimuth thruster delivered and Ulstein commences reduction gear manufacture. |
| 1962 | Kamewa feathering hub and super-cavitating propeller introduced. |
| 1960 | First tunnel thruster fitted to train ferry M/S Princesse Benedikte. |
| 1959 | Rolls-Royce manages the purchase of the UKs first submarine reactor from the US. |
| 1958 | First Rolls-Royce Proteus-powered fast patrol boat HMS Brave Borderer enters service. |
| 1953 | Rolls-Royce RM60 gas turbine at sea in HMS Grey Goose. |
| 1948 | The liner M/S Los Angeles becomes the first commercial application of Kamewa Controllable Pitch Propeller technology. Power is 7,000hp per shaft. |
| 1946 | First diesel engines delivered from Bergen. |
| 1945 | Production of anchoring and mooring systems started at Rauma in Finland and Brattvaag in Norway. |
| 1940 | Kamewa Controllable Pitch Propellers enter naval service on 20 Swedish minesweepers. |
| 1938 | Marinised version of the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine fitted in Royal Navy prototype Motor Torpedo Boats. |
| 1937 | Inspired by the Kaplan concept Kamewa tests its first hydraulically adjustable, controllable-pitch propeller. Hydraulik, forerunner of Brattvaag, is granted a patent on the first hydraulic winch for engine-powered vessels. |
1935 | Liaaen (later acquired by Ulstein) develops the first controllable-pitch propeller. Brown Brothers designs and installs the first successful active athwartship fin stabiliser. |
| 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. |
| 1917 | Martin Ulstein sets up Ulstein Mekaniske in Ulsteinvik, Norway - the start of what was to become the Ulstein Group. |
| 1916 | Brown Brothers develops electro-hydraulic steering gear. |
| 1905 | Michell patents the tilting pad thrust bearing. |
| 1871 | Brown Brothers, the Scottish marine engineering company, is founded. |
| 1849 | One of Sweden’s first railways requires a repair workshop. This workshop was the forerunner of Kamewa, the present Rolls-Royce Marine AB. |
