GE Powered USS Gabrielle Giffords Commissioned
The U.S. Navy’s 10th Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) USS Gabrielle Giffords was commissioned at the Port of Galveston, Texas, on Saturday, June 10, becoming the 16th ship to be named for a woman and only the 13th ship to be named for a living person since 1850. The ship’s homeport will be San Diego.
“This is the fifth such LCS in a 10-ship Independence–variant ship program with Austal USA that uses our LM2500. The two LM2500 engines are arranged in a combined diesel and gas turbine or CODAG configuration with two diesel engines,” said GE’s Brien Bolsinger, Vice President and General Manager, Marine Operations, Evendale.
LCS 10 is named for Giffords, a U.S. Congresswomen who resigned in 2011 to recover from wounds she sustained following an assassination attempt. Adm. William Moran, Vice Chief of Naval Operations, delivered the ceremony's principal address, and according to a U.S Navy press release he noted, “As we man the rails today, blood gets pumped, the ship comes alive, and the heart begins to beat. It's the blood that is infused by the spirit, the attitude, and the courage of its namesake. We are so proud to be part of Gabrielle Giffords' legacy to the United States."
GE marine gas turbines can be applied in a variety of propulsion configurations so naval architects have the design flexibility to best match speed, endurance and mission payload requirements. To date, the U.S. Navy -- GE’s largest marine gas turbine customer -- has taken delivery of over 700 LM2500 engines operating aboard surface combatants such as frigates and destroyers. Worldwide, more than 1,400 GE gas turbines log over 15 million hours serving 35 navies on 500 naval ships for 100 military ship programs ranging from cruisers, patrol boats and corvettes to frigates, amphibious ships and aircraft carriers.