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Navy, Marines Pick Damen LST-100 as Baseline for Medium Landing Ship

The move prioritizes cost control and rapid fielding by adopting a proven off-the-shelf design.

Landing Craft Heavy scale model on Austal's booth at Indo Pacific 2025. Damen's LST-100 design has also been selected by the Australian Navy for it's 8 ship Landing Craft Heavy program. Naval News picture by Alex Luck.

Overview

  • Navy Secretary John Phelan, CNO Adm. Daryl Caudle and Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Eric Smith announced the selection in a Dec. 5 video.
  • The roughly 4,000-ton LST-100 has a range of more than 3,400 nautical miles and is intended to move Marines and equipment across island chains in contested littorals.
  • Leaders said the program will competitively award a vessel construction manager to oversee execution and foster competition among multiple shipyards.
  • Details on which yards will build the ships, the production schedule, and any direct role for Damen were not provided.
  • The decision follows cancellation of an unaffordable prior LSM solicitation, while a $9.5 million award to Bollinger for an Israeli-derived first LSM remains in place.