The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps have selected Dutch company Damen’s LST-100 design as the basis for a new Medium Landing Ship program aimed at enhancing operational mobility in the Indo-Pacific. The roughly 4,000-ton vessel, with a range exceeding 3,400 nautical miles, represents a fiscally-disciplined approach to fleet modernization. The Marine Corps seeks 35 ships to support agile operations in austere environments. Naval leadership emphasized the selection balances capability, affordability, and rapid deployment timelines, following the recent cancellation of the Constellation-class frigate program.