Fairbanks Morse diesels picked for LCS 27

NOVEMBER 14, 2017 — Fairbanks Morse, an EnPro Industries (NYSE: NPO) company, has been selected to build and deliver the main propulsion diesel engines that will power the U.S. Navy’s newest Freedom class Littoral Combat Ship – the LCS 27.

Construction of the engines will begin later this year and they are scheduled to be delivered in 2019 to shipbuilder Fincantieri Marinette Marine in Marinette, WI. Fairbanks Morse will then support installation and testing, including sea trials for the vessel.

The two 16-cylinder Colt-Pielstick PA6B STC diesel engines will deliver over 12 MW of propulsion power and are among the largest medium speed diesel engines manufactured in the United States.

The U.S. Navy has rigorous shock qualification and testing requirements for surface combatant ships and Fairbanks Morse has a proven history of providing engines that meet or exceed all compliance standards.

“Fairbanks Morse has supplied the Navy with military-grade diesel engines for use in mission critical applications for more than 70 years,” said Andrew Smith, leader of Fairbanks Morse’s marine business segment. “We have also qualified many different engine models to meet ABS Naval Vessel Rules (NVR) standards.”

The LCS 27 has a combined diesel and gas (CODAG) turbine propulsion system and will utilize Fairbanks Morse diesel engines for its primary propulsion as they provide economical and reliable cruising power when the ship is traveling at lower speeds. For high speed operation, the ship uses either gas turbines or gas turbines combined with the diesel engines.