The US Navy released a solicitation announcement to industry last Friday for the Detail Design and Construction (DD&C) of the Medium Landing Ship (LSM).
According to the announcement, the solicitation will cover the procurement of six (6) LSM ships, Technical Data Package (TDP), Life Cycle Engineering & Support (LCES) and Special Studies, Post Delivery Support, Provisioned Items, and Lead Yard Support efforts.
In November of 2023, Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) released a draft Request For Proposal (RFP) covering the Detail Design and Construction (DD&C) of the Medium Landing Ship (LSM) to several shipbuilders.
The Navy plans to procure the first of the six ships in FY2025, the second ship in FY2026, and two ships each year in FY2027 and FY2028. The construction of the first ship is set to start in 2026.
The final quantity planned for the LSMs has been an area of contention between the Marines and the Navy. While the quantity remains unclear, the Marine Corps have stated that they would prefer 35 ships, three ships for each of the three Marine Littoral Regiments and eight ships to possibly account for ships being unavailable due to maintenance. On the other hand, the Navy hasn’t outlined the final quantity of LSM ships it plans to buy, a Chief of Naval Operations Navigation Plan document from 2022 hints at a service quantity of 18 ships.
About the Landing Ship Medium
The Landing Ship Medium is a new class of affordable amphibious landing ships that will ferry Marines and their equipment between islands in the Pacific.
The new amphibious ships are a central part of the Corps’ Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations concept. Unlike the current amphibious ships that move around the Marines, this new class of ships are expected to be cheaper. The Congressional Research Service, a nonpartisan public policy research institute, estimates the unit price of a LSM Ship to be $100 to $150 million.
According to information provided to USNI News, the draft proposal’s specification called for an LSM capable of carrying at least 75 Marines, haul 600 tons of equipment, and have an 8,000 square foot (743 square meters) cargo area. Further information provided by NAVSEA to USNI News put the dimensions of the vessels at 400 feet (121.92 meters) long, with a draft of less than 12 feet (3.65 meters), and an endurance speed of 14 knots.Â
