Engineers work to unlock power shipwide. Over the years, ship
propulsion has evolved from sail to steam to diesel and gas
turbine engines. The U.S. Navy now is transitioning to all-
electric ships, which will increase available power throughout a
vessel. The benefits will be enhanced ship survivability,
improved combat capability, reduced crew size—sending fewer
sailors into harm’s way—and lowered ship life-cycle costs.
Because today’s warship propulsion systems are separate from
their auxiliary systems, weapons and sensors, 90 percent of more
than 80 megawatts of power is locked into the propulsion system
and is not available for high-energy weapons and sensors. All-
electric ships will unlock this power by applying an integrated
power system (IPS) that provides electric power to the entire
ship. More than just electric drive, the IPS enables a ship’s
electrical loads, such as pumps and lighting, to be powered from
the same electrical source as the propulsion system. This
eliminates the need for separate power