Article Posted on : - May 25, 2011

Royal Navy's Type 45 destroyer.

LONDON (BNS): Rolls-Royce has signed a contract of $32.33 million (GBP 20 million) with BAE Systems to provide in-service support for the Royal Navy's Type 45 destroyers.

Under the contract, the company will deliver guaranteed availability of the WR-21 engines to support the ships' demanding operational schedules, allowing the MoD to focus solely on meeting its operational requirements.

The company has received initial contract for six years, which can be extended to cover the entire life of the vessels - in excess of 30 years.

"The WR-21 is the world's most technically advanced marine gas turbine, incorporating a modular design for ease of maintenance and innovative fuel efficiency features,” Matt Nadin, Rolls-Royce, Head of Type 45 Support, said.

The WR-21 is a highly efficient marine gas turbine, fitted with recuperators that recover energy from the exhaust, which is used to preheat combustion air, which in turn reduces fuel consumption by approximately one third.

The Type 45 Daring Class destroyers are each powered by two, cutting-edge, Rolls-Royce WR-21 gas turbines.