Damen Shipyards Group, Gorinchem, Netherlands, said Naval Sea Systems Command has selected its Landing Ship Transport (LST) 100 design for the U.S. Navy’s new Landing Ship Medium (LSM) program, a fleet initiative intended to bolster the service’s ability to move Marine Corps units in contested environments. According to the Navy, as many as 35 ships based on the LST100 design will be built at U.S. shipyards.
NAVSEA issued a request for information in early 2025 and awarded Damen a Technical Data Package for the LST100 in July. The Navy sought a non-developmental design to accelerate delivery, and officials were able to review an in-service LST100 already delivered by Damen.
The 330' LST100 is designed for personnel, vehicle, equipment, and cargo transport across a range of missions, including patrol, landing, survey, reconnaissance, and humanitarian assistance. Standard accommodations support 282 personnel. The ship’s RoRo deck offers 5,380 sq. ft. of cargo space, the vehicle deck 4,300 sq. ft., and additional capacity is available on the flight deck. The vessel can reach 14 knots and has an endurance of 3,890 nautical miles, or up to 7,530 nautical miles at 10 knots. Damen said the modular design allows upgrades, including an optional 20-meter block that expands the ship to the LST120 variant.
Damen, which operates 35 shipyards and 20 other companies in 20 countries, noted it has supported international shipyards since 1977 with licensed designs, material packages, and construction assistance. More than 150 Damen-designed vessels have been built in the United States, including the Sentinel-class and Protector-class patrol vessels for the U.S. Coast Guard.
Alan Borde, Damen area manager for the Americas, said, “We are delighted at NAVSEA’s selection of the LST100 for its LSM program. We are very much looking forward to continuing our cooperation with American shipyards during the construction of these vessels in the coming years. We enjoy long-standing relationships with a number of these yards, having supported their construction of our vessel designs over the last decades.
“I would like to thank the Embassy of the Netherlands in the U.S.A., as well as my colleagues at Damen Naval, for their support in the process so far. And of course, my extreme gratitude goes to NAVSEA for placing their trust in Damen. The LST100 has proven itself in operation already, and we have full confidence in the design’s suitability to meet the operational requirements of the U.S. Navy.”
The LST100 design is also gaining traction abroad. Australia selected the LST100 last year for its Landing Craft Heavy program, under which up to eight vessels will be constructed at Australian shipyards.
