ARLINGTON, Va., Jan. 10, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Recognized for their track record of exceptional performance and commitment to affordability, Rolls-Royce was named as the 2017 Team Freedom [NYSE: LMT] Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Supplier of the Year at the 30th annual Surface Navy Association National Symposium on Jan. 9.

A long-term Freedom-variant supplier, Rolls-Royce supplies MT30 gas turbines and Mk1 waterjets for the Freedom-variant LCS. Both systems are critical components of the Freedom-variant's combined diesel and gas (CODAG) propulsion system. At 36 megawatts, the MT30 is the world's most powerful in service marine gas turbine – enabling the Freedom-variant to achieve speeds of 40+ knots.

"Rolls-Royce has been an excellent partner, repeatedly demonstrating its value to the program and our U.S. Navy customer," said Joe DePietro, Lockheed Martin vice president of small combatants and ship systems. "As an original member of Team Freedom, Rolls-Royce has played an important role in our program's success, and we look forward to continuing our successful partnership with Rolls-Royce in the years to come."

Rolls-Royce played a critical role in the USS Little Rock's acceptance trials – the best of the class to date. During the trials, Rolls-Royce demonstrated reliability and performance improvements on the ship's propulsion and steering systems. These modifications helped enable USS Little Rock to achieve the highest propulsion system scores to date and conduct a clean sweep of the ship's sea trials major demonstrations.

"It is our privilege to work on the Lockheed Martin Littoral Combat Ship program and we are deeply honored by this recognition," said Don Roussinos, Rolls-Royce, President-Naval. "The combination of the MT30 gas turbine and our latest waterjet technology will ensure these ships are at the cutting edge of global naval capability for many years to come. It's especially fitting to receive this prestigious award in 2018, ten years after the first MT30 powered ship, USS Freedom, was commissioned."

The Lockheed Martin and Fincantieri Marinette Marine team is currently in full-rate production of the Freedom-variant of the LCS, and has delivered five ships to the U.S. Navy to date. There are eight ships in various stages of construction at Fincantieri Marinette Marine, with one more in long-lead production.

The Freedom-variant LCS team is comprised of Lockheed Martin, shipbuilder Fincantieri Marinette Marine, naval architect Gibbs & Cox, and more than 800 suppliers in 42 states.

For additional information, visit our website: www.lockheedmartin.com/lcs

About Lockheed Martin
Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 97,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.

About Fincantieri Marinette Marine
Founded in 1942, Fincantieri Marinette Marine (FMM) is located on the Menominee River flowage into Green Bay. The largest shipyard in the Midwest, FMM has delivered more than 1,300 vessels to the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, and commercial customers, including the technologically advanced Littoral Combat Ship Freedom variant for the U.S. Navy. In 2008, FMM along with several sister shipyards also based in the Great Lakes region, became part of Fincantieri, one of the world's largest shipbuilding groups and number one by diversification and innovation, with more than 19,400 employees, of whom more than 8,200 in Italy, 20 shipyards in 4 continents.  Fincantieri operates in the United States through its subsidiary Fincantieri Marine Group, serving both civilian and government customers. Over the past five years, Fincantieri invested more than $100 million in both capital infrastructure and its resources to support FMM's transformation into what is now one of the best shipyards in the United States. Employing approximately 1,500 employees, today FMM is a state-of-the-art, full service new construction shipyard.

About Gibbs & Cox
Gibbs & Cox, the nation's leading independent maritime solutions firm specializing in naval architecture, marine engineering and design, is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. The company, founded in 1929, has provided designs for nearly 80 percent of the current U.S. Navy surface combatant fleet; approaching 7,000 naval and commercial ships have been built to Gibbs & Cox designs.

SOURCE Lockheed Martin