Rolls-Royce waterjets power x-craft

Rolls-Royce is providing its Kamewa waterjets for the US Navy?s X-Craft, an experimental ship due to be launched tomorrow. The high-speed aluminum catamaran X-Craft under construction at Nichols Brothers Boat Builders, Whidbey Island in Washington state, has four high-efficiency Kamewa 125 SII waterjets, which will deliver 50.4MW of power, driving the vessel to speeds of up to 50 knots while offering greater maneuverability.

The independent units make sideways movement possible, simplifying operations and berthing. Mixed-flow type pumps used in Kamewa waterjets provide higher than 90% efficiency ratings.

The X-Craft is a demonstrator, which may be used to prove technologies for use in the US Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship (LCS). The Titan Corporation (NYSE: TTN) is the prime contractor for the X-Craft program. It was designed by UK-based Nigel Gee and Associates Ltd for the US Navy?s Office of Naval Research (ONR), and will be evaluated for advanced hydrodynamic performance, structural behavior and propulsion systems efficiency of high-speed hull form technologies. The vessel measures approximately 73 metres in length and 22 metres in breadth.

Currently, over 180 Rolls-Royce Kamewa waterjets are used by the US Navy on vessels such as the MK V class and the eleven-meter Ridged Inflatable Boat (RIB), used extensively by the Special Operations Command (SOCOM). More than 1,550 units in 20 different classes of naval vessels are installed worldwide. Three different Kamewa waterjet families, providing power from 40kW to 50MW, manufactured in aluminium and stainless steel are available for a variety of applications.

In addition, Rolls-Royce is also developing and testing the underwater discharge AWJ 21 under a contract with ONR. This advanced waterjet development has promise for future naval vessels requiring reduced signatures and improved maneuverability.