McClung-class landing ship medium
NNS Kada of the same type. | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | McClung class |
| Builders | |
| Operators | United States Navy |
| Planned | 18 (up to 35) |
| General characteristics [1] | |
| Type | Landing Ship, Tank |
| Displacement | 4,000 t (3,900 long tons) |
| Length | 100 m (328 ft 1 in) |
| Beam | 16 m (52 ft 6 in) |
| Draught | 3.5 m (11 ft 6 in) |
| Speed | 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) (maximum) |
| Range | 3,400 nautical miles (6,300 km; 3,900 mi) |
| Capacity | 500 tonnes cargo |
| Troops | 250-282 troops |
| Crew | 18-32 |
| Armament | 1× 30 mm gun (planned) |
| Aviation facilities | Flight deck |
The McClung class is a planned class of Landing Ship Medium (LSM) currently under development for the United States Navy. Formerly known as the Light Amphibious Warship (LAW) program, the class is designed to support the United States Marine Corps' Force Design 2030 concept. Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro announced in January 2025 that the class would be named after Major Megan McClung, the first female Marine Corps officer killed in combat during the Iraq War.
Design and development
The program originated as the Light Amphibious Warship (LAW) in 2020. After initial industry bids for a custom design were deemed too expensive (exceeding $350 million per hull), the U.S. Navy pivoted in 2024 to a non-developmental commercial design to lower costs and speed up production.[2][3]
In December 2025, NAVSEA officially selected the Dutch shipbuilder Damen’s LST 100 as the technical basis for the class, purchasing the data package for approximately $3.3 million.[4][5][6][7]
On February 17 2026, NAVSEA put out a request for proposal for a Vessel Construction Manager (VCM). The VCM will manage the construction of the vessels and contracts with shipyards and suppliers.[8]
Ships in class
The Navy plans to build 18 to 35 ships of this class. To maximize the domestic industrial base, the Navy is using a Vessel Construction Manager (VCM) model, where a commercial entity manages the design and coordinates construction across multiple U.S. shipyards.[5][6]
| Hull number | Name | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LSM-1 | McClung | Bollinger Shipyards | Ordered | ||||
| LSM-2 to 35 | TBD | TBD | Planned / Authorized |
See also
References
- ^ "Landing Ship Transport LST 100". Damen Group. Retrieved 18 December 2025.
- ^ "McClung Class Medium Landing Ship Revolutionizes Amphibious Warfare". RealClear Defense. 30 January 2025. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
- ^ "US Navy takes next steps for new LSM medium landing ship class". Naval News. 19 August 2025. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
- ^ "Damen Landing Ship Transport (LST) 100 design selected by NAVSEA for US Navy Landing Ship Medium initiative". Maritime & Offshore NL. 10 December 2025. Retrieved 19 December 2025.
- ^ a b "U.S. Navy Pays $3.3 Million For Dutch LST-100 Design To Fast-Track McClung-Class Landing Ships". Marine Insight. 9 December 2025. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
- ^ a b "Navy Retools Landing Ship Medium Program Around Dutch LST-100, Vessel Construction Manager to Lead Design Process". USNI News. 8 December 2025. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
- ^ "Landingsschip van Damen gekozen door Amerikaanse marine" (in Dutch). Marineschepen.nl. 5 December 2025. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
- ^ "NAVSEA opens competition for LSM vessel construction manager". Naval News. 20 February 2026. Retrieved 21 February 2026.