GE’s LM2500 gas turbines power USS OAKLAND Littoral Combat Ship

Maritime April 30, 2021

GE Marine’s LM2500 gas turbines now power the United States Navy’s new Littoral Combat Ship USS OAKLAND (LCS 24), which was recently commissioned into the US Navy fleet.

The ship’s powerful LM2500 gas turbines are Made in America at GE’s Evendale manufacturing facility, just north of Cincinnati, Ohio.

The commissioning for the Independence-class LCS 24 was held at the Port of Oakland, California. The ship is assigned to the LCS Squadron One nearby in San Diego, with antisubmarine warfare as its primary mission. USS OAKLAND is the third U.S. Navy ship to honor the long history its namesake city has had with the Navy. The first and second OAKLAND were commissioned in 1918 and 1943, respectively; the second OAKLAND was decommissioned in 1949.

GE is providing 38 LM2500 gas turbines to Austal USA for LCS Independence ships up to LCS 38. Thirteen Independence-class LCS have been delivered to the U.S. Navy with five more under construction at Austal USA’s Mobile, Alabama, facility. An additional ship is under contract waiting start of construction. All 19 LCS will include two GE LM2500 gas turbines as part of the power plant allowing the ship to reach speeds in excess of 40 knots, making the LCS one of the fastest ships in the fleet.

GE naval experience

GE gas turbines serve demanding marine and industrial markets in mechanical and electrical generation applications. The total installed base of 1,365 engines in the LM2500 family has accumulated over 16 million operating hours with a demonstrated reliability of >99%.

In fact, 95% of gas turbine-propelled ships in the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard fleets rely on GE marine engines. Recently, GE’s LM2500+G4 marine gas turbine was selected to power the U.S. Navy’s Constellation class (FFG 62) frigate. GE also will provide the gas turbine auxiliary skids (electric start, fuel forwarding and water wash systems) and the gas turbine control system.

Navies have worldwide support with a GE gas turbine, whether onshore or at sea, and interoperability benefits with other allied ships. GE’s split casing compressor and power turbine design allows for in-situ maintenance, often making a gas turbine removal unnecessary; navies save millions of dollars a year and weeks/months of ship unavailability.