Rolls-Royce to design and manufacture propellers for the US Navy
Rolls-Royce is designing and manufacturing propellers for the US Navy’s Constellation-class (FFG-62) frigates. (Photo: Rolls-Royce)
Rolls-Royce has reached an agreement with Fincantieri Marinette Marine to produce fixed-pitch propellers for the US Navy’s Constellation-class frigates.
Rolls-Royce has agreed with Fincantieri Marinette Marine to design and produce up to 40 fixed-pitch propellers for installation on the USN’s Constellation-class (FFG-62) guided-missile frigates.
Fincantieri was awarded the contract from the US DoD in April 2020 to design and build the first FFG-62 frigate. The contract is for a total of 20 ships and the first is planned to be delivered in 2026.
The propellers will be manufactured in Rolls-Royce’s new foundry in Pascagoula, Mississippi, which was funded through investments from the DoD.
The Pascagoula Foundry is one of two facilities in the US qualified to produce propellers of this size for the USN.
Rolls-Royce has built a reputation for supplying naval assets to the USN, with 95% of the commissioned USN surface fleet being equipped with its propellers.
According to Shephard Defence Insight, the Constellation class will replace Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates and are intended to conduct a range of missions including anti-submarine warfare, surface warfare, electronic manoeuvre warfare and anti-air warfare.
As part of our promise to deliver comprehensive coverage to our Defence Insight and Premium News subscribers, our curated defence news content provides the latest industry updates, contract awards and programme milestones.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
Constellation Class - FFG (1-2) [USN]
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Suppliers await next step in Australia’s mine warfare transition]()
Suppliers await next step in Australia’s mine warfare transition
Australia’s mine countermeasure capability remains in flux as the Huon-class nears retirement, but accelerated investment in autonomous systems is opening a path for industry.
-
![Can the US Navy ask Indo-Pacific allies to do more while training with them less?]()
Can the US Navy ask Indo-Pacific allies to do more while training with them less?
As the Iran War draws US ships and marine corps units away from the Indo-Pacific, curtailed exercises and a temporary carrier gap are exposing tensions between Washington’s demand for more self-reliant allies and the joint training needed to realise that ambition.
-
![How could Rheinmetall’s GMF 140 fit with ongoing programmes in North America?]()
How could Rheinmetall’s GMF 140 fit with ongoing programmes in North America?
With Canada committed to its River-class replacement and the USN pursuing a lower-cost frigate, Rheinmetall will need to demonstrate where the GMF 140 can fill a capability gap in the North American fleet.
-
![Australian industry programme builds pipeline for Virginia-class sustainment]()
Australian industry programme builds pipeline for Virginia-class sustainment
Australian businesses can now bid to support Virginia-class submarine sustainment in Western Australia, as momentum around the Henderson Defence Precinct also builds.
-
![South Korea, Japan and Turkey vie for US shipbuilding access in future frigate contest]()
South Korea, Japan and Turkey vie for US shipbuilding access in future frigate contest
Washington’s search for a foreign-built frigate could hand South Korea, Japan and Turkey a larger prize than a double-hull order: a foothold inside the US shipbuilding industrial base.
