Rolls-Royce to develop mini water jet for unmanned craft

Rolls-Royce, the global power systems company, is to develop a new, highly efficient water jet to propel unmanned surface craft for the US Navy.

The new water jet will be the smallest Rolls-Royce design to date, with a diameter of just 100 millimetres, and will quietly propel the craft through the water on remotely controlled missions that include intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.

Rolls-Royce will develop the water jet part of the innovative small propulsion system, part of a US Government funded Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) project led by Candent Technologies Inc.

Dennis Duke, Rolls-Royce, Advanced Programs Director - Naval Marine Inc. added: “We are developing and adapting our world-leading water jet technologies as part of a highly efficient propulsion system which will enable these advanced craft to go about their duties criss-crossing waterways and oceans, often for months at a time.

"Unmanned craft are a fast growing and exciting part of naval marine technology

and we’re delighted to be working with Candent and the US Navy in developing this groundbreaking propulsion system."

Known as MUSCL, the US Navy’s Modular Unmanned Surface Craft Littoral, is an X class unmanned surface vessel, designed to reduce risk to manned forces and perform tedious and repetitive surveillance tasks. The water jets will provide thrust to move the craft at speeds in excess of 25 knots as well as sustaining a cruise speed of 15 knots.

Rolls-Royce manufactures a wide range of water jets that power craft ranging from small patrol boats, to naval ships and the world’s largest high speed ferries. Water jets provide high levels of manoeuvrability and efficiency and are particularly suited to vessels operating in shallow waters.

Rolls-Royce wins U.K., U.S. contracts

Rolls-Royce has signed contracts with Britain's Ministry of Defense and the U.S. Department of Defense worth more than $1.6 billion.

Under the first agreement, Rolls-Royce will deliver nuclear reactor cores for Britain's submarine fleet. The second agreement, worth $103.3 million, is for maintenance and support of its F405 engines, which are used on the U.S. Navy's T-45 training aircraft.

Included in the $1.6 billion contract with Britain, the company will, in addition to maintaining and operating its facility for manufacture reactor cores for the British navy, complete a phased rebuilding of the plant to support future Ministry of Defense needs.

"This is excellent news that demonstrates the high level of trust the Ministry of Defense has in both our technology and the expertise of our highly skilled workforce," said Jason Smith, Rolls-Royce's president, Submarines, and chief operating officer of Nuclear business. "This new facility will deploy advanced manufacturing techniques to enhance our world leading nuclear manufacturing capability."

Under the award from the U.S. Defense Department, administered by the Naval Air Systems Command, Rolls-Royce will provide inventory control, integrated logistics support and required engineering for both the F405 engine and the aircraft gas turbine starting system on T-45 trainers.

More than 200 of the planes at four principle U.S. Naval Air Stations are covered under the contract.

"Our MissionCare contract with the U.S. Navy is one of our most successful partnerships and we take great pride in supporting the training of new aviators for the Navy and Marine Corp," said Paul Craig, Rolls-Royce's president of Defense Services said. "We look forward to another successful year, working in partnership with our customer to maximize engine availability for training missions."

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Security-Industry/2012/10/10/Rolls-Royce-wins-UK-US-contracts/UPI-15791349887650/#ixzz290qW54L0

USAF C-130 completes first flight with enhanced Rolls-Royce Engine

Rolls-Royce, the global power systems company, and the US Air Force are conducting flight tests for an enhancement for the T56 turboprop engine, which powers the C-130H transport aircraft. The Series 3.5 Engine Enhancement is designed to deliver fuel savings and reliability improvements, resulting in improved life cycle costs.

The first C-130H test aircraft began flying recently at Edwards Air Force Base, CA. The Series 3.5 Engine Enhancement has already demonstrated greater than 8 percent fuel burn improvement in ground tests, using proven technologies from other Rolls-Royce commercial and military engines, including new blade and vane materials and advanced turbine airfoil aerodynamic designs. The Series 3.5 will also improve performance in 'hot and high' conditions.

Tom Bell, Rolls-Royce, President, Customer Business – Defense, said, "We look forward to carrying out flight tests to confirm what we have already demonstrated in the test cell – significant savings in fuel costs, improved reliability and performance. Rolls-Royce has invested to help the US Air Force and other operators around the world meet their goal of reducing fuel costs, while also extending the life of the C-130 fleet and potentially saving billions of dollars."

The Series 3.5 Engine Enhancement program is expected to enable the USAF to continue to operate its C-130H fleet until 2040, and a USAF analysis estimated its long-term savings from the Series 3.5 enhancements could reach $2 Billion.

The engine improvements can be accomplished as part of a conventional engine overhaul, and do not require any aircraft or engine control system modifications. Each C-130 aircraft has four Rolls-Royce T56 engines, with approximately 220 C-130H models eligible for upgrades.

The Series 3.5 program will help the Air Force to achieve its goal of reducing consumption of aviation fuel by 10 percent by 2015.

Rolls-Royce to lead Canadian research project for unmanned naval vehicles

Rolls-Royce, the global power systems company, will lead a project to develop new technologies to support unmanned naval vehicle missions, following an award of $3 million from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA).

The development of Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs) and Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) is a rapidly expanding part of naval marine technology, and Rolls-Royce has extensive capability in the handling systems that enable these advanced craft to be launched, refuelled and recovered from the sea.

Rolls-Royce will develop automated systems to support the missions carried out by unmanned naval vehicles, including mine-countermeasures, anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, coastal security patrols and environmental data collection. Rolls-Royce will design refuelling systems so unmanned craft can remain at sea for longer periods, and handling equipment that can deploy underwater sensors remotely from these advanced craft.

Jay McFadyen, President of Rolls-Royce Naval Marine Inc. said: "Future naval and patrol vessels will increasingly use unmanned vehicles to carry out a variety of missions. We are delighted that ACOA is providing significant support to develop these capabilities in our Canadian facilities which are ideally situated close to many of our industrial, academic and governmental partners.

"This research programme will enable us to develop sophisticated systems with significant market potential, and firmly establish this region of Canada as a centre of excellence for these cutting edge technologies."

Dennis Duke, Advanced Programs Director for Rolls-Royce Naval Marine Inc. added: "The technologies resulting from this project will fill a technology gap and provide naval operators with the ability to deploy unmanned vehicles to conduct a variety of missions without putting sailors in harm’s way. In addition, the refuelling system will eliminate the requirement to bring the unmanned vehicle back onboard the ship so it can return to its mission with minimal turnaround."

Rolls-Royce intends to leverage its expertise as a leading supplier of sensor handling and stowage systems for naval vessels to develop similar technology for USVs and UUVs that can be rapidly reconfigured for various missions. This will require more lightweight and compact designs with a high level of automation

Rolls-Royce is a world-leading provider of power systems and services

Rolls-Royce to power new frigate for the Republic of Korea Navy

Rolls-Royce, the global power systems company, has been selected to supply its MT30 gas turbine to power a new FFX frigate for the Republic of Korea's Navy. This is the first order for the MT30 in Asia.

The FFX frigate will use a single MT30 rather than a pair, which demonstrates that the engine is suitable to power a variety of naval ships.

Andrew Marsh, Rolls-Royce, President - Naval said:“We are delighted that the Republic of Korea Navy has selected the MT30 for the first ship in the FFX Batch II programme. The MT30 is the engine of choice to power the world's most advanced naval ships, where demand for power is increasing as more navies choose all-electric ships with sophisticated on board systems.

“We look forward to working with HHI, DSME and the Navy in delivering what will be the world's first frigate to feature the MT30.”

The MT30 is derived from Rolls-Royce aero engine technology and builds on over 45 million hours of operating experience. Producing 36 to 40 megawatts, it is the world's most powerful marine gas turbine and has the highest power density - a key factor in naval propulsion where delivering a high power output in a compact space is essential.

The FFX Batch II programme is for eight ships. This order is for the first vessel in the programme, which will be built by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME).The MT30 engine will be built and tested in the UK before being shipped to Korea, where Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) will integrate it into the steel enclosure which also houses the air inlets, exhausts and ancillary equipment, prior to installation in the ship.

The MT30 has also been selected for the U.S. Navy's DDG-1000 Zumwalt class destroyer as well as the UK Royal Navy's new Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers, and is already powering the U.S. Navy's Freedom class Littoral Combat Ships.

Rolls-Royce is a world-leading provider of power systems and services for use on land, at sea and in the air, and has established a strong position in global markets - civil aerospace, defence aerospace, marine and energy.

    As a result of this strategy, Rolls-Royce has a broad customer base comprising more than 500 airlines, 4,000 corporate and utility aircraft and helicopter operators, 160 armed forces, more than 4,000 marine customers, including 70 navies, and energy customers in more than 80 countries.

    Annual underlying revenues were £11.3 billion in 2011, of which more than half came from the provision of services. The firm and announced order book stood at £62.2 billion at 31 December 2011, providing visibility of future levels of activity.

    Rolls-Royce employs over 40,000 people in offices, manufacturing and service facilities in over 50 countries. Over 11,000 of these employees are engineers.

    In 2011, Rolls-Royce invested £908 million on research and development, two thirds of which had the objective of further improving the environmental performance of its products, in particular reducing emissions.

    Rolls-Royce supports a global network of 28 University Technology Centres, which connect the company’s engineers with the forefront of scientific research.

    The Group has a strong commitment to apprentice and graduate recruitment and to further developing employee skills.

Rolls Royce wins £1billion UK nuclear submarines deal

Britain's Rolls-Royce on Monday said it had signed a contract worth more than 1 billion pounds ($1.6 billion) with Britain's defence ministry to deliver reactor cores for the UK's nuclear-powered submarine fleet.

The deal includes the refit of Rolls' submarine propulsion reactor factory at Derby in central England, where Rolls plans to introduce the latest technology and manufacturing techniques, the company said.

The investment will protect 300 jobs at the factory and many others at suppliers elsewhere, sources told Reuters on Sunday.

"This demonstrates the high level of trust the Ministry of Defence has in both our technology and the expertise of our highly skilled workforce," Jason Smith, Rolls-Royce's chief operating officer and submarines unit president said.

The deal could strain Britain's two-party coalition government, which is split over plans to replace the country's four Vanguard submarines at an estimated cost of 25 billion pounds when they retire from service in the 2020s.

Prime Minister David Cameron's Conservative Party wants a new fleet of submarines that will continue to carry the Vanguard's Trident missiles, maintaining Britain's independent nuclear capability.

Their smaller Liberal Democrat partners are pushing for cheaper and less potent alternatives, arguing that the current capability - the ability to obliterate Moscow - is an outdated hangover from the Cold War.

Britain moved a step closer to renewing its Trident nuclear weapons system last month, awarding 350 million pounds worth of contracts to design a new generation of submarines.

Rolls-Royce awarded £100 million support contracts for UK transport and tanker fleets

Rolls-Royce, the global power systems company, has secured contract extensions, which will see the company provide ongoing support for engines on the UK’s C-130 Hercules transport and VC10 tanker fleets. The contracts are worth almost £100 million to Rolls-Royce.

Following this amendment, the Hercules Integrated Operational Support (HIOS) contract, which is delivered jointly by Rolls-Royce, Marshall Aerospace and Lockheed Martin, will provide support for the C-130 fleet until 2015.

Rolls-Royce teams in the UK and Indianapolis in the US provide comprehensive servicing for the AE 2100D3 engine, which powers the C-130J aircraft and the T56 engine on the C-130K.

Paul Craig, Rolls-Royce, Executive Vice President Services - Defence, commented: "This contract amendment is testimony to the standard of service delivered to-date and reflects the value we offer to our customer. We take pride in supporting the Royal Air Force’s fleet of C-130s and in our successful partnership with Lockheed Martin, Marshall Aerospace and the Ministry of Defence."

"It is particularly pleasing that we have continued to deliver high levels of aircraft availability at a time when both the C-130 and VC10 have recently been involved in high tempo operations. Our innovative approach, which continues to ensure availability for critical operations, has been greatly appreciated by the RAF."

Rolls-Royce has also secured an extension to the contract to provide technical support for Conway engines, which will power the VC10 tanker until it finishes service in 2013. The company provided around-the-clock support for Conway engines that powered the VC10 tanker aircraft during the UK’s Operation Ellamy in Libya last year.

Preparing for the Worst, Turkish Navy Awards Contract for Submarine Rescue Mother Ship

Rolls-Royce and Istanbul Shipyard will be working together following their announcement today of an award by the Turkish Navy for three new ships.  Istanbul Shipyard will design and build one Submarine Rescue Mother Ship (MOSHIP) and two Rescue and Towing Ships at their yard in Tuzla, and Rolls-Royce will supply tunnel thrusters and retractable thrusters for all three vessels. In addition Rolls-Royce Azipull main propulsion thrusters will be supplied for the MOSHIP.

MOSHIP is a dedicated submarine rescue mother ship designed to perform subsea and surface search and rescue missions in various sea conditions.  This vessel is capable of detecting distressed submarines, providing life support including ventilation and pod posting, evacuating her crew up to 600 meters of depth and transferring them under pressure up to 5 Bar.

Operational Capabilities Include:

• Search and rescue up to and including sea state 6

• Sea bottom imaging, high acoustic capabilities

• Towed Side Scan Sonar (TSSS) operations

• Detecting the distressed submarine

• Position keeping at 4 knots current and sea state 4 with Class II Dynamic Positioning System

• Providing life support to the crew including ELSS pod posting

• External ventilation (up to 600 m. depth)

• Dissub personnel rescue (up to 600 m. depth)

• Transferring under pressure

• Treating diving diseases with post modern decompression/ recompression pressure chambers and extensive hospital facilities

• Twin interconnected, L-type SRV connectible pressure chambers for 32 rescuees

• Acting as a medevac station with her heli-deck, capable of operating around the clock, up to sea state 4

• A clear aft deck area of 650 m2

• Operating with certified US SRDRS system with built-in A-frame of US SRDRS SRV and hydraulic/ telescopic crane of 35 tons capacity

• Operating with certified NATO NSRS system

• Atmospheric Diving Suit (ADS) operations

• Submarine Rescue Chamber (SRC) operations

• Personnel Transfer Capsule (PTC) operations

• Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) operations

• Acting as a medevac station with her heli-deck, capable of operating around the clock, up to sea state 4

• A clear aft deck area of 650 m2

• Operating with certified US SRDRS system with built-in A-frame of US SRDRS SRV and hydraulic/ telescopic crane of 35 tons capacity

• Operating with certified NATO NSRS system

• Atmospheric Diving Suit (ADS) operations

• Submarine Rescue Chamber (SRC) operations

The following is an animation from Istanbul Shipyard depicting the MOSHIP.  (We recommend you mute your volume, or feel free to crank it up if you enjoy rocking out to Kylie Minogue)

This is the first order for thrusters that Rolls-Royce has received from the Turkish Navy, which is planning a significant ship building programme in the coming years.

Sam Cameron, Rolls-Royce, Senior Vice President – Naval Sales and Business Development said:

    “The Turkish Navy is an important customer, with whom we have a strong relationship. Our technology is particularly well suited to naval applications and we look forward to developing the relationship with both the Istanbul Shipyard and the Turkish Navy in the future.”

Rolls-Royce supplies seventy navies around the world and has previously supplied controllable pitch propellers and sonar handling systems to the Turkish Navy.

Azipull thrusters rotate through 360 degrees and can propel the ship in any direction offering high manoeuvrability, without the need for a rudder. This technology enables vessels to hold their position more effectively, which is especially important for vessels carrying out search and rescue missions.