US Marine Corps unveils design for new McClung-class landing ships

The U.S. Marine Corps has revealed designs for a new class of landing craft, designated the McClung class, in a move that underscores its commitment to modernizing its amphibious capabilities, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region.

Named in honor of the first female officer to die in combat, the McClung class represents a significant step in enhancing the logistical and maneuverability support for the larger amphibious fleet. These vessels are not intended as traditional large-scale assault ships but as crucial supplementary assets providing essential logistics and operational flexibility.

The LST-100, the specific model for this class, will be constructed in the United States by shipyards, utilizing a modular design developed by the Dutch firm Damen Shipyards. The plan is to build 35 of these vessels, each capable of carrying 280 personnel and possessing a range of about 3,400 nautical miles. They will feature dedicated decks for drones or helicopters, further expanding their operational versatility.

This initiative comes at a time when the U.S. Navy faces readiness challenges with its existing amphibious fleet, which has been significantly weakened by delayed maintenance. The introduction of the McClung class aligns with the broader U.S. military strategy to counter China's expanding military presence in the Indo-Pacific, providing a vital component for projecting power and maintaining regional stability.

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Crucially, the LST-100 is not a traditional amphibious assault ship, but rather a supplementary asset providing essential logistics and maneuverability within the battlespace that enable our larger amphibious fleet to achieve its mission.