GE to Supply Austal with Gas Turbines for Navy Ships

GE Marine said it will provide Austal USA, Mobile, Ala., with four LM2500 marine aeroderivative gas turbines to power the United States Navy’s 14th and 16th Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ships (LCS).

GE is providing 20 LM2500 gas turbines for the Austal USA LCS program, part of a contract for up to 10 ships over a five-year period.  The Austal-built LCSs are powered by two LM2500s arranged in a combined diesel or gas turbine configuration with two diesel engines.

According to Austal, Coronado (LCS 4) will complete sea trials later this spring. Construction of two additional LCSs is currently underway in Austal’s Mobile shipyard.

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.