Fairbanks Morse to Power US Navy's LPD 29

Fairbanks Morse said it has been awarded a contract to build and deliver the main propulsion diesel engines (MPDE) that will power LPD 29, the U.S. Navy’s thirteenth San Antonio landing platform dock (LPD) class ship. 

Construction of the engines will begin in 2019 for scheduled delivery to Huntington Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Miss. in 2020. Fairbanks Morse will also support installation, testing and sea trials for the vessel.

The four sequentially turbocharged 16-cylinder Colt-Pielstick PC 2.5 diesel engines with common rail (CR) fuel injection will deliver over 31 MW of propulsion power and are among the largest medium speed diesel engines manufactured in the U.S.

The San Antonio LPD ship class utilizes Fairbanks Morse diesel engines for its primary propulsion system through two controllable pitch propellers (CPP). The 684-foot-long, 105-foot-wide ships are used to transport and land Marines, their equipment and supplies. These ships support amphibious assault, special operations or expeditionary warfare missions and can serve as secondary aviation platforms for amphibious-ready groups. Additionally, LPDs will be able to provide humanitarian assistance and support disaster relief missions throughout the first half of the 21st century.

Approximately 75 percent of the U.S. Navy’s surface fleet is powered by Fairbanks Morse engines.