Rolls-Royce announced that it has won an order to supply propulsion equipment for four new tugboats for the Republic of Korea (RoK) Navy. Each vessel will be equipped with two azimuth thrusters, designed and manufactured by Rolls-Royce. Azimuth thrusters are a configuration of a ship’s propeller that can rotate through 360 degrees on a vertical axis, providing greater maneuverability than a traditional propeller and rudder system. This $3.3m order follows a $7.2m order earlier this year to supply controllable pitch propellers for the RoK Navy’s prototype FFX frigate, the first of an initial batch of six ships. Lieutenant Commander, Lee Kwang Young, said “The four tugboats will be built in the Hanook Shipyard, with the first due to enter service in 2011.