Freedom Tests New Gas Turbine Engines

Freedom Tests New Gas Turbine Engines
May 02, 2008
Navy News

WASHINGTON - Lockheed Martin and Marinette Marine Corp. successfully demonstrated April 25 the first "light-off" of one of Freedom's (LCS 1) two main gas turbine propulsion engines in Marinette, Wis.

Testing of the Rolls Royce MT-30 gas turbine engine is a significant step as the ship prepares for sea trials this summer.

Freedom, the first of a new class of littoral combat ships, will use these two gas turbine engines and two main propulsion diesel engines to power the ship's steerable water jets, a first for a U.S. Navy ship, and propel the ship at speeds of more than 40 knots.

"This was an important milestone," said LCS Program Manager Capt. Jim Murdoch. "The supporting systems worked smoothly to bring the engine to life."

Freedom will continue to perform dock-side tests and evaluations as it prepares for its summer sea trials. The Navy expects to accept delivery of the ship and commission it later this year.


Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/news/article/navy-news/freedom-tests-new-gas-turbine-engines.html



uhc comment: Just a reminder - this POS costs $600,000,000 a pop, and it's 200% over the original estimate.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Littoral_combat_ship

~snip~

Development and funding

In 2004, Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics and Raytheon submitted preliminary designs to the Navy. It was decided to produce two vessels each (Flight 0) of the Lockheed Martin design (LCS-1 and LCS-3) and of the General Dynamics design (LCS-2 and LCS-4). After these are brought into service, and experience has been gathered on the usability and efficiency of the designs, the future design for the class will be chosen (Flight I). This may be a decision to use one or the other design in whole, or a combined form made by selecting features from each, or a mixed fleet of both designs. The Navy currently plans to build 55 of these ships.

On 9 May 2005, Secretary of the Navy Gordon England announced that the first LCS would be named USS Freedom (LCS-1). Her keel was laid down on 2 June 2005 in Marinette Marine, Marinette, Wisconsin.<1> On 23 September 2006, LCS-1 was christened and launched at the Marinette Marine shipyard.<2>

On 19 January 2006, the keel for the General Dynamics trimaran, USS Independence (LCS-2), was laid at the Austal USA shipyards in Mobile, Alabama. LCS-2 was launched 30 April 2008.

On 12 April 2007, the Navy canceled the contract with Lockheed Martin for the construction of LCS-3 after negotiations to control cost overruns failed.<1> The second General Dynamics ship was also canceled on November 1, 2007<2> after similar cost overruns on their first ship. The Navy currently plans a brand new bidding process for the next three ships, with the winner building two ships and the loser only one.<3>

http://marine.rolls-royce.com/MT30-marine-gas-turbine-engines/