Fairbanks Morse Power for USS Cleveland (LCS 31)
Fairbanks Morse received a purchase order from Lockheed Martin – the U.S. Navy’s prime contractor on Littoral Combat Ship’s (LCS) Freedom variant – to build and deliver the main propulsion diesel engines (MPDE's) for the 16th ship of the class, USS Cleveland (LCS-31).
USS Cleveland (LCS 31) will receive a pair of 16-cylinder FM Colt-Pielstick PA6B Sequentially Turbo Charged (STC) diesel engines; together providing more than 12 MW of propulsion power. The USS Cleveland (LCS 31) will rely on the Fairbanks Morse engines for its low speed cruising and mid-range speed propulsion demands. STC technology provides the engine a higher degree of fuel efficiency when operating at lower speed; at higher speeds, the engines will augment gas turbines to achieve the ship’s full speed.
“Marine engines and power generation for today’s high-tech armed forces requires manufacturing excellence and technical innovation that never fails,” said Fairbanks Morse CEO, George Whittier. “We are proud to continue our partnership with the US Navy by ensuring the highest standards of critical power support at sea, which helps America’s service men and women carry out their missions at home and abroad.” Today, Fairbanks Morse engines are installed on approximately 80% of US Navy ships that have a medium speed power application.