iscover
The US Navy has chosen Damen’s LST 100 as the foundation for a new class of medium landing ships, with construction expected to start in 2026 and delivery of the first ship scheduled in 2029.
The program is expected to support US Marine Corps expeditionary operations and was confirmed during an announcement featuring US Secretary of the Navy John Phelan, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Daryl Caudle and Marine Corps Commandant General Eric Smith.
The LST 100 has already been selected by Australia for its own landing craft demand to deliver vehicles, supplies and up to 234 troops directly onto a beach via bow doors and stern ramps.
“We are fundamentally reshaping how the Navy builds and fields its fleet. Today, I’m taking the second major step in that effort: selecting the design for our medium landing ship, an operationally driven, fiscally disciplined choice that puts capability in the fleet on a responsible timeline,” Secretary Phelan said.
The planned fleet of 35 LSMs is central to the Marine Corps’ future expected operations with small, mobile units moving between islands against near-peer adversaries in contested littoral regions.
