Surface Power Equipment

The Surface Power Equipment program is a critical line item within the Navy's Other Procurement budget, specifically supporting ship propulsion equipment for non-nuclear surface ships. The overarching goal of this program is to ensure the operational readiness, reliability, and modernization of the Navy's fleet by procuring, upgrading, and maintaining marine gas turbines, controllable pitch propeller systems, and steam propulsion components. The program encompasses a range of procurement and modification activities, targeting both main propulsion and auxiliary power generation systems across various ship classes. These include the DDG 51 ARLEIGH BURKE, CG 47 TICONDEROGA, LCS, LHD, LHA, LPD, LSD, and DDG 1000 ZUMWALT classes.

General Electric Gas Turbine initiatives focus on the procurement and life-cycle support of LM2500 and LM2500+ marine gas turbines, which serve as main propulsion engines for surface combatants and amphibious ships. The objectives include providing spare engines, overhaul kits, and readiness improvement modification kits to increase reliability and fleet readiness. Specific upgrades, such as accelerometers, improved speed sensors, and flexible thermo harnesses, are procured based on historical failure data and installed during scheduled maintenance periods. These efforts are managed by the Naval Surface Warfare Center Philadelphia Division and are justified by the need to maintain a steady pool of spares and reduce engine downtime.

Rolls Royce Gas Turbine procurement supports auxiliary and main propulsion systems, including the 501-K series, MT5S, MT5S-HE+, MT-30, and 250-KS4 engines. These turbines are used for ship service electrical generation and propulsion across multiple ship classes. The program funds both stock rotating spares and modification kits to address top maintenance and reliability issues identified through fleet performance data and engineering analysis. Modification kits, such as Full Authority Digital Control upgrades and variant conversion kits, are installed during scheduled availabilities to improve system reliability and maintainability, directly supporting fleet readiness and operational effectiveness.

LM2500 Digital Fuel Control (DFC) is a major modernization effort aimed at replacing obsolete hydro-mechanical fuel controls with advanced digital systems on LM2500 engines. This upgrade is mandatory for DDG-51 class ship modernizations, as the new machinery control systems require DFC-equipped engines for proper integration. The DFC system significantly improves reliability, reduces maintenance requirements, and enhances operational safety by providing automatic stall detection and shutdown capabilities. Procurement and installation are carefully scheduled to align with Chief of Naval Operations ship availabilities, with installation activities including pre-assembly, shipping, shipboard integration, crew training, and operational testing.

Propellers and Shafts funding is dedicated to procuring controllable pitch propeller system components, such as blades, hubs, and oil distribution boxes, for various ship classes. The objective is to maintain a rotatable pool of spares to support scheduled and unscheduled replacements due to lifecycle wear or casualty reports. The long turnaround times for repairs necessitate a sufficient inventory of spares to ensure fleet readiness and prevent operational disruptions caused by propeller or shaft failures. Such failures can lead to excessive vibration, structural damage, or loss of ship speed and maneuverability.

Steam Propulsion Items addresses upgrades to boiler efficiency, safety, and downstream maintenance for steam and diesel propulsion surface ships. Procured items include stack gas analyzers, fuel oil meters, temperature sensors, electronic automatic boiler controls, chemistry analysis equipment, and protective devices. These upgrades are intended to improve steam plant efficiency, safety, and reliability, reducing the risk of propulsion plant casualties and ensuring consistent power generation for ship movement and onboard systems. Installation can occur during scheduled or unscheduled availabilities, leveraging shipyards, tenders, or alteration installation teams.

Production Engineering supports the technical documentation, configuration management, and engineering review necessary for all production contracts associated with marine gas turbines and propulsion systems. This includes developing and updating technical manuals, drawings, provisioning documentation, and program support data to ensure accurate configuration tracking and support for fleet installations. The Surface Power Equipment program's goals and objectives are tightly aligned with maintaining fleet readiness, combating obsolescence, and supporting the Navy's modernization and efficiency initiatives.