GE Marine Engines' Proven LM Aeroderivative Gas Turbines are Best Solution for U.S. Navy's Next Generation DD 21 Destroyers

WASHINGTON, D.C. - GE Marine Engines discussed how its full line of proven aeroderivative gas turbines are the best solution for the U.S. Navy's next generation DD 21 destroyers. The LM gas turbines range in power from 6,000 shaft horsepower (shp) to 57,300 shp, GE reported today at the Sea-Air-Space 2000."Because GE's LM product line covers the full spectrum of power ranges, we have a fuel-efficient system solution to meet the needs of the DD 21 destroyer program regardless of the configuration," said Bill Millhaem, General Manager for GE Marine Engines. "What makes our gas turbines the definitive choice for this program are years of proven reliability. The demonstrated low life cycle costs, reduced manning requirement and high ship availability are enabled by GE's commitment to ongoing advanced technology improvements. Simply put: By using GE's LM gas turbines, risks are low and there will be no surprises now or in ten years when DD 21 goes to sea," Millhaem stated.GE's LM product line includes: 

GE's LM fleet record speaks for itself: Twenty-seven navies use 968 engines on 388 ships. In the commercial marine arena, 82 GE LM gas turbines can be found on 45 ships, in various hull configurations and in both mechanical and electric drive propulsion systems. Reliability/Maintainability
A gas turbine that is readily available for service is crucial in all marine environments. That is why GE insists on superior reliability and maintainability for its LM gas turbines. GE Marine Engines' distinct advantage is that the parent aircraft engines from which the LM gas turbines were developed have more than 216 million reliable operating hours on various aircraft.For instance, through more than 300 GE Component Improvement Program initiatives, extensive reliability and maintainability advancements (RMA) have been made to GE's LM2500 gas turbine. This program includes the infusion of advanced materials, coatings, improved bearings and electronic fuel control. Many of these advancements have been shared across the LM family of engines.As a result, there has been a marked improvement in mean time between engine removal for this gas turbine. When the LM2500 was introduced almost 25 years ago, the incidence of engine removal was estimated at 5,000 hours. U.S. Navy data shows that the removal interval for earlier versions of the LM2500 exceeds 18,000 hours and the most recent versions exceed 23,000 hours.The benefits of GE's RMA program for its LM gas turbines means that there are longer intervals between engine removals (greater than 12 years), low maintenance costs and high ship availability.Engine Combinations
GE's entire LM line of simple cycle gas turbines can be engineered in an optimal power system using various size engine combinations to meet DD 21 operating requirements (see attached diagram examples).By applying different GE engine combinations, a simple system can be configured to use fewer auxiliaries. These systems can be more cost effective by being able to match the exact power requirements of the DD 21 rather than having excess power due to only one engine size available for this application.GE's fleet of experienced LM gas turbines provide the reliability and ease of maintenance needed to support the reduced manning and life cycle cost objectives of the DD 21 program, without the risks of unproven complex cycle engines.Other benefits of the LM gas turbines for the DD 21 program include:

• Lower manpower and maintenance requirements as well as significant experience with unmanned control rooms;
• Lower operating, support and maintenance costs; and
• Commercial logistics support including GE's new remote diagnostics capabilities (see separate release in this press kit on this topic). Service Capabilities
  The LM product line is derived from GE's aero engines that operate reliably on thousands of aircraft throughout the globe. With this lineage comes the ability to tap into GE Aircraft Engines' nearly 50 years of engine service experience. As the most experienced engine service company in the world, GE employs more than 17,000 repair and overhaul specialists who are available in over 40 service shops throughout the globe. Fifteen of these service shops specifically cater to the LM product line. They are strategically positioned on four continents to support the repair and delivery requirements of our customers.GE is uniquely positioned to offer tailored solutions for all of its customers, ranging from time and material services to comprehensive maintenance contracts. In fact, through this global network, 100,000 engine shop visits and three million major components have been repaired to date.Today, GE provides tailored service solutions on more than 2,500 gas turbines, aimed at providing the maximum customer value and the lowest life cycle costs. GE's customers gain access to state-of-the-art propulsion engineering and tools and talent without having to create an expensive infrastructure. Therefore, customers can focus on their overall mission, not just the engines.GE's wide range of offered services are customized to meet specific requirements. These services include: engine management, component repair, accessory repair, monitoring and diagnostics, engine leasing, asset management and material management with time and material, firm-fixed price labor or maintenance cost per hour pricing structures.e.Business
  GE has launched a corporate-wide effort to become an industry leader of electronic service offerings to its customers. GE Marine Engines is leveraging applications that are currently being used by GE's commercial aviation customer base. Some services include: a Customer Web Center; secure, personalized extranet solutions based specifically on each customer's unique needs; and e.supply chain to order spare parts and increase transaction efficiency. Many of these services improve resource productivity to meet customer expectations. Other e.business initiatives include:
• Information: Online service bulletins, just-in-time training, knowledge-based wizards.
• Collaboration tools: Real time visual inspections, trend analysis, findings reports.
• Communication: Engine production and delivery status.
• Services: Illustrated parts catalogs, component repair, system service aggregator.GE Marine Engines is working to provide a comprehensive suite of online functions focused on customer productivity for its most valued commercial and military marine customers. GE Marine Engines is part of GE Aircraft Engines and is headquartered in Evendale, Ohio. 
  GE Marine Engines is the world's largest designer, developer and manufacturer of aeroderivative gas turbines for a variety of commercial and military marine propulsion applications. Visit GE Marine Engines at Marine Propulsion section of our website.