The Damen LST 100 is a class of Landing Ship, Tank designed by the Dutch Damen Group. It is a versatile, non-developmental, sea-going vessel intended for amphibious operations, troop and vehicle transport, and humanitarian assistance. In late 2025, the design gained international prominence when it was selected as the basis for the United States Navy's .
LST 100 was developed as part of Damen Group's amphibious series, a range of standardized vessels (from 40 to 120 meters) designed to reduce costs and construction timelines through modularity. Unlike "clean-sheet" military designs, LST 100 was engineered as a non-developmental, sea-going vessel, meaning it was designed for immediate production using proven commercial shipbuilding standards adapted for naval use.
Some key features are:
The Nigerian Navy was the LST 100 launch customer. The first vessel, , was built at Albwardy Damen in Sharjah and delivered in 2022. A second vessel was subsequently ordered.
In 2024, the Australian Government selected the LST 100 design for the Australian Defence ForceâÂÂs Landing Craft Heavy (LCH) replacement program. Up to eight vessels are planned to be built domestically by Austal at the Henderson Shipyard. The first ship is planned to commence construction in 2026.
In December 2025, the U.S. Navy selected LST 100 as the design basis for its Landing Ship Medium (LSM) program (formerly the Light Amphibious Warship). The U.S. plans to build up to 35 ships, designated as the , to support the Marine Littoral Regiments' Force Design 2030 concept in the Pacific. The U.S. government purchased the design rights for approximately US$3.3 million to allow for domestic production across multiple American shipyards.