GE Delivers LM2500 Gas Turbines to Austal USA
GE Marine announces it has delivered two LM2500 marine aeroderivative gas turbines to Austal USA’s Mobile, Alabama, shipyard. These units will power the United States Navy’s Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship Jackson (LCS 6).
GE will provide 20 LM2500 gas turbines for the Austal USA LCS program, part of a contract for up to 10 ships over a five-year period. Similar to the previous two Austal-built LCS Independence and Coronado, Jackson will be powered by two LM2500s arranged in a CODAG configuration with two diesel engines. GE reports the successful completion of the main engine light-off on USS Coronado’s two LM2500 gas turbines; the ship was christened in January 2012. The commissioning ceremony for USS Independence was held on January 16, 2010.
The 127-meter aluminum trimaran LCS is an agile surface combatant that can be deployed independently to overseas littoral regions, can remain on station for an extended period either with a battle group or through a forward-basing arrangement, and is capable of underway replenishment.
All the LM2500 gas turbines for the Austal LCS program were or will be manufactured at GE’s Evendale, Ohio, facility.