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A Landing Ship Medium (LSM) was originally an amphibious assault ship of the United States Navy in World War II. Of a size between that of Landing Ships Tank and Landing Craft Infantry, 558 LSMs were built for the USN between 1944 and 1945. Most of vessels built on this frame were regular transports, while several dozen were converted during construction to specialized roles. Most LSMs were scrapped during the Cold War, but several were sold by the United States Department of Defense to foreign nations or private shipping companies.
OPNAV N95 established a new LSM program in 2020. The new LSM will be 350 to 400 feet (110 to 120 m) long, able to operate at 22 knots and have a range of 6,500 miles (10,500 km). The cost will be much lower than traditional amphibious shipping, according to a story in the March 2023 Marine Corps Gazette. The piece suggests that a MLR (Marine Littoral Regiment) would need nine LSMs.[1][2][3] As a comparison the Jason-class of the Greek Navy is about 380 feet (120 m) long, with a top speed of 18 knots
- ^ "Acquisition Costs of the Navy's Medium Landing Ship". Congressional Budget Office. 11 April 2024.
- ^ "Navy launches LSM contract competition". InsideDefense.com.
- ^ Eckstein, Megan (5 October 2022). "Marines, Navy near agreement on light amphibious warship features". Defense News.