The U.S. Government has picked Damen’s LST 100 design as the base platform for the U.S. Marine Corps’ new Medium Landing Ship (LSM) programme.
The news was announced via a social media statement released on Friday by Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) John Phelan.
It revealed the U.S. Navy plans to acquire “at least 35” of the 100-metre roll-on, roll-off vessels, which in Damen’s standard configuration have a range of about 4,000 nautical miles and a crew of 18, and can accommodate up to 500 tons of cargo.
As per the SECNAV’s social media statement: “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.”
USMC Commandant General Eric Smith commented: “For the Marine Corp, the MLS will provide us with an organic, littoral mobility capability in the Indo-Pacific and around the world.
“It provides us with a critical intra-theatre manoeuvre asset that is able to embark, transport and land Marines, weapons, and supplies and equipment around the theatre without requiring access to a pier.”
The news follows 12 months after the U.S. Navy’s cancellation of its LSM request for proposals programme after the design concepts produced for it were deemed unaffordable.
The statement said the programme was instead favouring a proven, in-service design. SECNAV Phelan added: “The LST 100 Landing Ship Transport… gives us the right balance of capability, affordability, and speed to field.”
Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Daryl Caudle said: “The LST 100’s cargo capacity, helicopter capacity, berthing, and crane make it an excellent choice.”
He added: “The Medium Landing Ships will enable our Marines to be more agile and flexible in austere environments where there are no ports, providing the joint force with the needed operational mobility within the adversary’s weapons engagement zone.”
In August it was announced that the Royal Australian Navy had selected the same Damen platform for its eight-ship Landing Craft Heavy programme.
- You can read more details about the LST 100 on the Damen website and see the U.S. Navy’s announcement in full on the SECNAV’s X account