USN orders repairs to LCS waterjet and shaft assemblies
USS Independence at sea in April 2019. (Photo: USN/Chief Mass Communication Specialist Shannon Renfroe)
Wärtsilä Defense has received an IDIQ contract worth up to $76.28 million from the US Naval Surface Warfare Center, to repair waterjet and shaft assemblies on Independence-class Littoral Combat Ships (LCSs).
‘Work will be completed at the contractor’s facility in Chesapeake, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by July 2027. The contract will have a 60-month ordering period,’ the DoD noted on 28 July.
Fitted with two LM2500 gas turbines and two MTU Series 8000 diesel engines, as well as two LJ160E and two LJ150E waterjets, the trimaran Independence-class design can reach a top speed of 44kt with a range of 4,300 nautical miles.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
Denmark’s air defence frigate requirement draws growing European competition
With no formal competition under way, industrial partnerships, production capacity and air defence capability could all shape the programme as Denmark considers how to replace its three Iver Huitfeldt-class frigates.
-
Five years on: where could opportunities emerge next for AUKUS Pillar II?
Payload commonality, combat systems and electronic warfare are emerging as likely priorities as the trilateral partnership balances building submarines with sharing industrial ecosystems.
-
Singapore expands maritime presence with future-ready Sentinel OPV
Singapore is building space for uncrewed systems and future technologies into its new Sentinel-class OPVs, reflecting a wider move towards adaptable vessels capable of maintaining persistent maritime presence.
-
From the Baltic to the Gulf: where USV procurement is heading next
Saildrone’s new Copenhagen base is one sign of a larger shift, as navies globally turn to uncrewed vessels for surveillance and mine clearance.
-
Israeli Navy looks to expand as war reshapes future force requirements
Israel’s navy is preparing for a larger and more technically diverse role, but its ambitions could be impacted by supply chain restrictions, accelerating demand for domestic naval production as well as autonomous maritime capabilities.
-
Quantum sensing gathers pace as navies eye undersea advantage
As AI dominates defence conversations, industry increasingly points to quantum sensing as the technology set to change submarine and uncrewed underwater vehicle operations.