Rolls-Royce Wins New U.S. Order

By IAN CAMERON

Rolls-Royce has been awarded a contract to supply a range of equipment, including MTU marine generator sets, to a new fleet of U.S. Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Cutters (USCG OPC).

The Rolls-Royce equipment was selected by Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) Inc. for the USCG OPC fleet’s first nine vessels, with an option to add two more.

Rolls-Royce will supply the USCG OPC fleet’s controllable pitch propellers (CPP), shaft lines and Promas rudders, which Rolls-Royce said, offer increased propulsive efficiency and improved maneuverability. Rolls-Royce will also supply bow thrusters, steering gear, fin stabilizers and MTU marine generator sets.

Four EPA Tier 3 compliant MTU 12-cylinder Series 4000 (1000kW) generator sets will provide each vessel with electrical and loiter propulsion power. The units are Naval Vessel Rules (NVR) certified by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS).

The new vessels will replace the USCG’s fleet of Medium Endurance Cutters, providing a capability bridge between the National Security Cutter (NSC) fleet, which is equipped with Rolls-Royce controllable pitch propellers and bow thrusters, and the Fast Response Cutter (FRC) fleet, which operates closer to shore.

The new Offshore Patrol Cutters will be built at ESG’s shipbuilding facility in Panama City, Florida, USA. Construction will begin in 2018 with delivery of the first vessel scheduled for 2021. The US Coast Guard plans to build a total of 25 OPC ships.