Damen to Serve as Partner for Construction of LST 100 Vessels for the Australian Army
On Friday, 20 February, Austal Defence Australia and Damen Shipyards Group signed a contract supporting the local construction of Landing Ship Transport (LST) 100 vessels for the Australian Defence Force. Under the agreement, Damen will provide the design and associated licences, enabling Austal to build the vessels at its Henderson shipyard in Western Australia.
The signing ceremony took place at the Australian Marine Complex Common User Facility (AMC CUF) in Henderson and was attended by representatives from industry and government.
The contract follows the Commonwealth of Australia’s announcement in November 2024 selecting the LST 100 as the preferred design for the Australian Defence Force’s Landing Craft Heavy (LCH) program, following a competitive tender process.
The LST 100 design was selected based on its operational credentials and successful service history. An earlier model has already been constructed and delivered, and its performance has contributed to further international adoption, including selection by NAVSEA for the United States Navy.
For Australia, the vessels will be built by Austal as part of the company’s fifteen-year Strategic Shipbuilding Agreement with the Commonwealth of Australia. A total of eight Landing Craft Heavy vessels will be delivered over a twelve-year period, with construction scheduled to commence later this year.
The vessels will be constructed in Henderson using Austal facilities and the AMC CUF, located 23 kilometers south of Perth. The complex, which already plays an important role in supporting the local economy, is undergoing major upgrades in order to be able to facilitate large-scale defense shipbuilding projects in the coming years.
The Landing Craft Heavy program supports the Australian Army’s contribution to the 2024 National Defence Strategy, which includes enhancing the Army’s ability to conduct agile, distributed and littoral operations as part of an integrated force. The new vessels will help enable Army to project, sustain and support land forces across Australia’s northern approaches and wider region.
Each vessel, measuring 100 meters by 16 meters, will be capable of transporting more than 500 tons of military vehicles and equipment. In addition to supporting amphibious operations, the ships will enable deployment, sustainment, logistics movements, humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief missions.
