How Modular Permanent Magnet Machines Are Advancing Electrification Across Marine and Industrial Platforms
The Electrification Challenge Customers Are Solving Right Now
Across marine, government, and industrial sectors, electrification is accelerating—but the requirements are rarely simple. Platform designers and system integrators are being asked to deliver more power in less space, improve overall energy utilization, and maintain performance in harsh operating environments. At the same time, they are managing integration risk, schedule pressure, and lifecycle expectations that can span decades.
In this environment, many teams face the same tradeoff: custom solutions can meet unique requirements but often bring cost and schedule complexity—while off-the-shelf options may fall short when packaging, thermal margin, or controllability are mission-critical.
Leonardo DRS is developing the PR72—a standard product family of permanent magnet electric machines engineered to deliver high power density, high efficiency, and responsive controllability for demanding electrification applications. The PR72 is designed as a modular “building block” architecture intended to scale across a broad set of power levels and propulsion or drive architectures—without forcing customers into a one-off design path.
For many electrification programs, the technical requirement isn’t just “a motor.” It’s an electric machine that can adapt—across platforms, evolving requirements, and different system architectures, helping customers reduce integration risk and keep programs moving—while still enabling configuration for platform-specific needs.
PR72 is being designed to:
- Operate interchangeably as a motor or generator
- Span 500 kW to 9 MW, with rated speeds from 300 to 1,800 RPM and efficiency greater than 98%
- Align to IEC 60034 commercial standards and be suitable for classification society type approval
- Support continuous duty – S1 with a minimum 25-year design life
PR72 is being developed with a focus on attributes customers value most in high-performance electric machines, including:
- High power density to support compact integration and reduce system weight
- High efficiency across operating ranges to improve energy utilization and thermal management
- Fast dynamic response and precise control for demanding motor-drive applications
- Ruggedized design intent for harsh environments, shock and vibration, and wide temperature ranges – as configured
- Integration-ready architecture aligned to modern power electronics and control strategies
- DRS-backed engineering and manufacturing to support long-term program execution
PR72 is engineered for demanding Naval applications including USV propulsion, marine propulsion, power generation, and hybrid electric drive systems—including alignment with DRS Variable Frequency Drives. It is also engineered for flexibility and affordability across commercial applications such as:
- Offshore and onshore oil and gas – top drives, mud pumps, drawworks, compressor drives
- Power generation – variable-speed diesel-electric and gas turbine-electric configurations
- Mining and minerals processing – conveyor drives, hoisting, mill drives
- Industrial process drives – pumping, mixing, fan and blower applications
- Rail and heavy transportation traction drives
- Renewable energy – wind turbine generators and energy storage flywheel systems
As customers scale electrification, many are looking for solutions that deliver performance while minimizing the burden of a bespoke development cycle. The market need is for a scalable, high-performance permanent magnet machine that can be configured for specific applications—without the cost and schedule of a custom-engineered solution—and supported by deep engineering, manufacturing, and lifecycle capability.
About Leonardo DRS
Leonardo DRS, Inc. (Nasdaq: DRS) is at the forefront of developing transformative defense technologies using its proven agility and delivering innovative solutions for U.S. national security customers and allies worldwide. We specialize in rapidly providing high-performance, multi-domain capabilities across next-generation advanced sensing, network computing, force protection, and electric power and propulsion. Our reputation as a trusted provider is built on a continuous focus on practical innovation, delivering quality, and meeting our customers’ most demanding mission requirements. For further information on our complete range of capabilities, visit www.LeonardoDRS.com.