Rolls-Royce to supply engines for U.S. Navy next-gen landing craft

Rolls-Royce Corp. has received a $54,7 million deal for the production of 12 MT7 turboshaft engines, ancillary parts, and installation kits to support the U.S. Navy’s Ship to Shore Connector (SSC) program and its Landing Craft, Air Cushion (LCAC) 100-class craft.

According to Naval Sea Systems Command, the work will be performed in Indianapolis and is expected to be completed by June 2029. Fiscal 2025 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $54,730,397 will be obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

The contract was not competitively procured, as Rolls-Royce is the only responsible source capable of meeting the Navy’s requirements under 10 U.S. Code 3204(a)(1).

This award comes as Textron Systems secured a separate $353.9 million contract last week to build three additional SSC air cushion landing craft for the U.S. Navy. The SSC 100-class craft are designed to replace the service’s aging fleet of LCAC vehicles.

The Pentagon said that work on Textron’s contract will primarily take place in New Orleans, Louisiana (66 percent), with additional efforts in Pasadena, California (11 percent), Cincinnati, Ohio (7 percent), and Gloucester, United Kingdom (4 percent), among other locations.

In a statement, the Navy said the SSC program is a critical component of its amphibious capabilities, enabling the transport of equipment, personnel, and supplies from ships to shore in a variety of operational environments.