GE Aerospace Secures LM2500 Engine Orders for Next-Generation US Navy Destroyers

GE Aerospace’s Marine Engines & Systems division has secured new orders to supply eight LM2500 marine gas turbine engines for the United States Navy’s next two Flight III Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers. The engines will power the future USS Intrepid (DDG 145) and USS Robert Kerrey (DDG 146), with each ship equipped with four LM2500 engines. The order further reinforces the long-standing role of the LM2500 as the propulsion backbone of the US Navy’s surface combatant fleet.

The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer has formed the core of the US Navy’s surface warfare capability for more than 30 years, and propulsion reliability has been a key factor in the class’s enduring success. As of January 2025, 74 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are in active service, all powered by GE Aerospace’s LM2500 engines. With the latest contracts, GE Aerospace will have supplied engines for every active ship in the class, amounting to a total of 296 LM2500 engines installed across the fleet. This achievement underscores the Arleigh Burke programme’s status as one of the most successful shipbuilding efforts in US naval history.

Mark Musheno, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for GE Aerospace’s Marine Engines & Systems business, highlighted the significance of the award, noting that the LM2500 has been the engine of choice for the Navy’s destroyer fleet for decades. He added that GE Aerospace is proud to continue supporting the Navy as it works toward its long-term objective of expanding to a 390-ship fleet.

Musheno also emphasised GE Aerospace’s commitment to increasing production capacity in line with the Navy’s growing requirements, while maintaining the quality and reliability standards that have made the LM2500 the most trusted marine gas turbine in naval service worldwide.

To date, the US Navy has taken delivery of more than 700 LM2500 gas turbines, which are currently operating aboard a wide range of surface combatants, including destroyers and frigates. Since the LM2500 first entered naval service in 1969, GE Aerospace has continuously evolved the engine family, introducing enhanced variants such as the LM2500+, LM2500+G4 and related configurations. These upgrades have delivered improved power output, efficiency, and maintainability while preserving the core design’s proven robustness.

Backed by more than 55 years of operational experience, the LM2500 family has achieved a demonstrated reliability rate of 99 per cent, a level of performance demanded by modern navies operating in high-tempo and contested maritime environments. Today, the LM2500 remains the most widely used naval propulsion system in the world, with thousands of engines in service across multiple allied fleets, continuing to set the global standard for marine gas turbine propulsion.