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Navy Adopts Dutch LST-100 as Baseline for McClung-Class Medium Landing Ships

The service plans to accelerate fielding through a vessel-construction-manager model that still requires congressional approval.

Overview

  • Naval Sea Systems Command confirmed selection of Damen’s LST-100 and purchased the technical data package for $3.3 million to jump-start design-to-build work.
  • The planned vessel-construction-manager approach would put a prime manager under Navy contract to place construction at U.S. shipyards, subject to FY2026 NDAA authorization for the first eight hulls.
  • The McClung-class is intended to move Marine Littoral Regiments under Force Design, with a Navy planning range of roughly 18 to 35 ships.
  • Damen specifications cite a roughly 4,000-ton ship with about 4,000 nautical miles of range and space for approximately 250 embarked Marines.
  • Bollinger previously received about $9.5 million in advanced procurement for an alternate design, and USNI News reports the yard may still build the first hull despite the shift to LST-100.