USS Mobile Bay Completes Extensive Modernization Upgrades

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USS Mobile Bay Completes Extensive Modernization Upgrades
UNITED STATES - 22 APRIL 2010

Second U.S. Navy Aegis Cruiser Completes Major Upgrade

SAN DIEGO --- USS Mobile Bay (CG 53), the second cruiser to undergo the most comprehensive upgrade and modernization program in the history of the U.S. Navy, completed its 10-month shipyard availability April 19 and will soon be reintegrated back into the fleet.

All Ticonderoga-class cruisers are undergoing extensive structured modernization efforts in order to improve the Navy's warfighting capability by supporting future combat system integration, improving operational availability, increasing capacity and ensuring ships reach their expected service life.

"A key tenet of the Navy's plan to remain deployable and combat ready depends on our ability to upgrade today's fleet to meet tomorrow's requirements," said Rear Adm. James P. McManamon, the Naval Sea Systems Command deputy commander for surface warfare (SEA 21). "The technology insertion and system upgrades received as a part of the Cruiser Modernization Program are necessary to ensure the capability and capacity to pace future threats"

During the ship's modernization availability at BAE Systems San Diego Ship Repair, Mobile Bay was equipped with the some of the world's most modern warfighting technology, including upgrades to the Aegis weapons system, improved sonar and radar technologies and a full combat systems overhaul.

With a core mission to sustain, modernize and increase the warfighting capabilities of Aegis-equipped cruisers, the targeted efforts of SEA 21's Cruiser Modernization Program strive to keep total ownership costs at a minimum, while keeping the ships mission effective throughout their service lives. The Navy has been able to extend service life on these valuable assets and support the current maritime strategy, while making the surface fleet less expensive to operate and maintain for decades to come.

Over the next several years, the remaining 19 cruisers will undergo this structured modernization to ensure they too are able to reach their projected 35-year service lives.

SEA 21 manages the complete lifecycle support for all non-nuclear surface ships and is the principal interface with the surface warfare enterprise. The directorate is responsible for the maintenance and modernization of non-nuclear surface ships currently operating in the fleet. Through planned modernization and upgrade programs, SEA 21 will equip today's surface ships with the latest technologies and systems to keep them in the fleet through their service lives. Additionally, SEA 21 oversees the ship inactivation process, including ship transfers or sales to friendly foreign navies, inactivation and/or disposal.


File Photo: U.S. Navy USS Mobile Bay (CG 53)

 

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GE Supplies US Navy with Additional LM2500 Digital Fuel Control Retrofit Kits
UNITED STATES - 4 MAY 2010

(National Harbor, Maryland, May 3, 2010) -- GE Marine reports that the United States Navy has ordered an additional 16 Digital Fuel Control (DFC) kits for LM2500 marine aeroderivative gas turbines aboard four ships. The DFC kits provide for lower maintenance costs, increased reliability and better system response, GE announced today at Sea Air Space 2010.

The 16 LM2500s to be retrofitted power the U.S. Navy's CG-47 Ticonderoga class cruisers and DDG-51 Arleigh Burke class destroyers. The DFC kits incorporate the most state-of-the-art controls available for GE LM gas turbines - a technology now standard on new LM2500 and LM2500+ engines. Previous-generation LM2500s use a hydro-mechanical control system.

The recent LM2500 DFC kits ordered by the U.S. Navy bring the total to 76 gas turbines on 19 ships that have been or will be retrofitted. The LM2500s already retrofitted on select DDG-51 and CG-47 class ships have accumulated nearly 180,000 DFC operating hours. The kits are installed as part of a U.S. Navy's ship system modernization program.

The first LM2500 equipped with the DFC technology was installed by the U.S. Navy in 1994 aboard the Watson class large, medium-speed, roll-on/roll-off ships. The DFC technology -- as part of the standard engine equipment -- also has been delivered to international navies for LM2500 gas turbines applications, as well as on a variety of commercial projects where GE gas turbines are used to power cruise ships and fast ferries.

Benefits of the DFC technology are numerous and include:

-- Improved engine resistance to possible fuel contamination through oil actuation of variable stator vanes (VSV) and the fuel metering valve.
-- Updated control of fuel and air scheduling within the gas turbine provides more accurate fuel/air scheduling through electrical feedback and closed-loop control. In addition, fuel characteristics and VSV positions can be recalibrated through the control software inputs.
-- Gas turbine control sensor redundancy on compressor discharge pressure, compressor inlet temperature and pressure, gas generator speed, VSV position, and fuel metering valve position.
-- Improved operator signals, alarms, and troubleshooting are provided by additional electrical sensors and actuator feedback. GE DFC kits also offer improved capabilities for data capture and condition monitoring.

Primary DFC retrofit kit components include a fuel metering valve and two VSV actuators, both with redundant electronic feedback. An upgraded engine controller and shipboard wiring changes are also required to incorporate the DFC kit.


Source : GE Marine