Rolls-Royce congratulates the U.S. Navy on the commissioning of Littoral Combat Ship USS Fort Worth
Saturday, 22 September 2012Rolls-Royce, the global power systems company, today congratulates the U.S. Navy and the Lockheed Martin-led team on the commissioning of the latest Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) USS Fort Worth.
USS Fort Worth is the second Freedom Class LCS to join the U.S. Fleet and is powered by two Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbines – the world's most powerful marine gas turbine. A formal commissioning ceremony took place today with the ship's crew in the port of Galveston, Texas.
Tony Wood, Rolls-Royce, President – Marine, said: "Rolls-Royce offers our sincere congratulations to the U.S. Navy and the Lockheed Martin-led team on what is such a special day for all involved in the LCS program.
"We are extremely proud to have worked alongside the Navy and Lockheed Martin on the development, sea trials and entry into service of USS Fort Worth and wishCommander Randy Blankenship and his crew our very best wishes on all future missions with this highly advanced ship."
Designed to operate in combat zones close to the shore (littoral waters), each Freedom Class LCS will be equipped with two Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbines powering four large waterjets, enabling the vessels to reach speeds in excess of 40 knots.
The waterjets, which are among the largest produced by Rolls-Royce, pump water at a combined rate of 25,000 gallons per second – enough to fill an Olympic style swimming pool in 25 seconds.
The MT30 is derived from Rolls-Royce aero engine technology, building on over 45 million hours of operating experience and reliability. It also has the highest power density of any marine gas turbine - a key factor in naval propulsion where delivering a high power output in a compact space is essential.
The MT30 has also been selected for the U.S. Navy's DDG-1000 Zumwalt class destroyer program as well as the UK Royal Navy's new Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers and the Republic of Korea Navy's FFXII frigates.
- Rolls-Royce is a world-leading provider of power systems and services for use on land, at sea and in the air, and has established a strong position in global markets - civil aerospace, defence aerospace, marine and energy.
- As a result of this strategy, Rolls-Royce has a broad customer base comprising more than 500 airlines, 4,000 corporate and utility aircraft and helicopter operators, 160 armed forces, more than 4,000 marine customers, including 70 navies, and energy customers in more than 80 countries.
- Annual underlying revenue was £11.3 billion in 2011, of which more than half came from the provision of services. The firm and announced order book stood at £60.1 billion at 30 June 2012, providing visibility of future levels of activity.
- Rolls-Royce employs over 40,000 people in offices, manufacturing and service facilities in over 50 countries. Over 11,000 of these employees are engineers.
- In 2011, Rolls-Royce invested £908 million on research and development, two thirds of which had the objective of further improving the environmental performance of its products, in particular reducing emissions.
- Rolls-Royce supports a global network of 28 University Technology Centres, which connect the company's engineers with the forefront of scientific research.
- The Group has a strong commitment to apprentice and graduate recruitment and to further developing employee skills.
Littoral Combat Ship USS Fort Worth joins the US Fleet
(Image courtesy of Lockheed Martin)
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