GE Aerospace Supplies LM2500+G4 Gas Turbines for Korean Navy KDDX

GE Aerospace will provide 12 LM2500+G4 marine gas turbine engines across six ships under the Republic of Korea Navy’s next-generation destroyer program, designated KDDX. The engines will be integrated into the vessels' full electric propulsion architecture, supplying operational power to support full-ship electrical loads, including stealth-integrated radar installations, anti-aircraft systems, and land-attack missile suites.

Propulsion Architecture and Operational Capabilities
Each KDDX destroyer will utilize two LM2500+G4 units within an integrated electric drive configuration. The dual-engine setup provides operational flexibility, enhanced fuel efficiency, redundancy, and reserve power capacity intended for future ship upgrades.

The LM2500+G4 engine family utilizes a two-spool design sharing architectural commonalities with standard LM2500 models. The G4 variant incorporates a zero-stage high-pressure compressor blisk alongside engineering revisions that achieve 33% higher airflow and increased firing temperatures while maintaining the physical footprint of the standard LM2500 platform. The engine type previously entered naval service on Italian, French, Egyptian, and Moroccan FREMM frigates, and has been designated for the U.S. Navy’s Constellation-class (FFG-62) frigate program and DDG(X) Land Based Test Site.

Composite Enclosures and In-Country Manufacturing
Engines delivered for the program will be housed in lightweight composite enclosures. Compared to prior steel enclosures, the composite design lowers total installed weight by more than 2,500 kg while retaining identical envelope dimensions. The composite housing lowers acoustic emissions by 60% and reduces exterior surface wall temperatures by 25°F to 50°F.

Assembly, testing, parts production, and field service support will be executed in South Korea by domestic partner Hanwha Aerospace. Composite enclosure structures will be built by NRTEC at its facility in Busan. To date, the Republic of Korea Navy has ordered 163 GE Aerospace marine gas turbines deployed across 95 surface vessels.

Additional Context
This section details technical specifications not included in the original news release.

Integrated full electric propulsion (IFEP) systems in surface combatants operate by directing mechanical shaft output from gas turbine alternator packages and auxiliary diesel generator sets onto a common medium-voltage AC or DC bus architecture. Variable-frequency drives route this electrical capacity concurrently to high-power propulsion induction motors and advanced pulsed-power weapon platforms. The aeroderivative LM2500+G4 operates at an ISO base power output rating of approximately 35.3 MW (47,370 shaft horsepower) at 3,600 rpm with a thermal efficiency exceeding 39 percent. The power turbine operates with an exhaust mass flow rate of approximately 93 kg/s at exhaust gas temperatures around 555°C. Structural weight reduction achieved by resin-transfer-molded composite enclosures helps mitigate top-weight expansion, lowering the center of gravity in warship hulls featuring tall, enclosed integrated sensor masts.

Edited by Romila DSilva, Induportals Editor, with AI assistance.