Energy-Efficient Naval Ships of the Future

The U.S. Navy selected gas turbine propulsion for its most recent classes of cruisers, destroyers, and frigates because of weight, space, and performance advantages, and the ease of automation, of marine gas turbines. These plants, although currently less efficient than diesels and steam plants during certain operating modes, offer the long-range potential of significantly better fuel economy, through the development of new components and the adoption of a different design philosophy.