Schottel lands US Navy tug propulsion contract

Propulsion and steering systems developer Schottel announced it has been contracted to deliver rudder propellers for the four four newly designed yard tugs for US Navy.

The tugs will be built by Washington-based Dakota Creek Industries.

Schottel will be providing its azimuth thrusters with the LEACON sealing system as well as the ProAnode which will be integrated into a high-efficiency nozzle.

Just like the first six Navy tugs equipped with Schottel rudder propellers that were ordered earlier, the US Navy currently plans to deploy the four new tugs at United States military bases in the US Pacific Northwest Region and Yokosuka, Japan.

They are intended to perform ship-handling duties for the full range of US Navy surface warships and submarines. For this purpose, the tugs are equipped with an extensive array of underwater fendering as well as typical resilient style fenders for handling surface ships.

The main propulsion for the Robert Allan Z-Tech design tugs is provided by two Caterpillar CAT 3512E engines – each rated with 1,350 bkW at 1,600 rpm and each featuring a Schottel SRP 340 (formerly SRP 1012) azimuthing stern drive unit with 2,100 mm diameter fixed pitch propellers and an input power of 1,330 kW. This combination will provide a bollard pull of 43 tonnes and a free-running speed of approximately 12 knots.

The navy tugs are expected to enter operation starting in November 2019.