Jim Phaserman 0 Posted May 23, 2004 in light of a thread about the most powerful diesel engine, some of you might be wondering what kind of engines power US Navy ships. well, 5 classes of active duty Navy vessels currenly operate the LM 2500 engine as it's powerplant. the LM 2500 is a Gas Turbine Engine, capable of about 20,000 shaft horsepower. the Ticonderoga and Spruance class vessels utilise 4 of these engines on two shafts to achieve a total of 80,000 Shaft Horse Power, and a speed in excess of thirty knots. the Arliegh Burke class vessels use 4 "Dash 30" versions, each rated at 25,000, on two shafts, for speeds in excess of 30 knots. the smaller Oliver Hazard Perry class vessels use two engines on one shaft for a total of 40,000 SHP, and a top speed of over 29 knots. here's a pic of the LM 2500 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites