GE Marine announces its LM2500 aeroderivative gas turbines now power the United States
Navy’s Coronado
, trimaran Littoral
Combat Ship. Coronado
— the second Austal USA-built LCS — was recently
christened at Austal USA’s Mobile, Ala., shipyard.
The
Coronadois powered by two LM2500s
arranged in a CODAG configuration with two diesel engines. Cincinnati-based GE
Marine says it will provide Austal USA with eight LM2500 gas turbines for the Independence-variant LCS program, part
of a contract for up to 10 ships over a five-year period. This past summer, Austal USA celebrated the
cutting of metal on Jackson, the third Austal LCS, also powered by two LM2500s
in a CODAG arrangement.
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.