GE Marine reports that it will provide Austal USA with two LM2500 aeroderivative gas turbines to power the United States Navy’s fourth LCS-Class-Independence variant. The new LCS will be named USS Montgomery, and will be powered by the LM2500s arranged in a CODAG configuration with two diesel engines. Austal plans to launch the second LCS-Class-Independence variant USS Coronado in the fourth quarter 2011. This vessel is also powered by two LM2500s in a CODAG configuration. The third LCS-Class-Independence variant, USS Jackson, is LM2500-powered too.
The 127m aluminum trimaran LCS is an agile surface combatant that can be deployed independently to overseas littoral regions, can remain on station for an extended period either with a battle group or through a forward-basing arrangement, and is capable of underway replenishment
