상륙함 나이지리아에 먼저 취역한 호주와 미국의 차기 상륙함 LST-100

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When Computers Went To Sea | 미해군, 중형상륙함(구 경상륙함) 제안서 초안 공개 - Daum 카페

미해군, 중형상륙함(구 경상륙함) 제안서 초안 공개

When Computers Went To Sea | 미 의회 예산국, 미해군 중형상륙함 프로그램의 예산이 최소 138% 초과될 것으로 예상 - Daum 카페

미 의회 예산국, 미해군 중형상륙함 프로그램의 예산이 최소 138% 초과될 것으로 예상

When Computers Went To Sea | 미해군, 중형상륙함 RFP 발행 취소 - Daum 카페

미해군, 중형상륙함 RFP 발행 취소

When Computers Went To Sea | 신형 상륙함 설계안으로 Damen의 설계안을 채택한 호주 - Daum 카페

신형 상륙함 설계안으로 Damen의 설계안을 채택한 호주

When Computers Went To Sea | 미해군, 중형상륙함 베이스로 네덜란드의 LST-100 선정 - Daum 카페

미해군, 중형상륙함 베이스로 네덜란드의 LST-100 선정

네덜란드 Damen의 LST-100 형 상륙함은 가장 먼저 UAE에서 건조돼 나이지리아에 인도됐었네요. USNI에 실린 해당 함정의 소개 기사입니다.

나이지리아 해군에서 처음 운용된 상륙함, 향후 미·호주 해군의 핵심 전력으로 부상
작성자 Aaron-Matthew Lariosa
2026년 4월 29일 오후 12시 22분

Damen LST-100

네덜란드 기업이 설계하고 아랍에미리트에서 최초 건조되어 나이지리아 해군에서 처음 운용된 상륙함급이 향후 수십 년 동안 인도태평양 지역에서 미 해병대와 호주 국방군의 상륙 작전 핵심 전력이 될 전망이다.

최근 2년 사이 워싱턴과 캔버라는 중국과의 분쟁 시 인도태평양의 여러 도서 지역으로 특수 지상 전력을 수송하기 위한 연안 기동 자산 수요를 충족하기 위해 Damen의 LST-100 설계에 주목해왔다고 방산업체 발표를 통해 각각 밝혀졌다. 이 상륙수송함은 양국이 운용하는 대형 상륙함보다 규모는 작지만, 기동 보병과 지역 거부 자산으로 중국 해군에 대응하도록 설계된 새로운 연안 전력을 분산 배치할 수 있게 해준다.

미 해병대의 중형 상륙함과 호주의 중형 상륙정 사업 요구를 충족하기 위해 선택되기 전, LST-100은 나이지리아 해군이 먼저 도입했다.

Damen LST-100 개념도

초도함 NNS Kada(LST-1314)의 건조는 2019년 아랍에미리트에 위치한 Damen의 Albwardy Damen 조선소에서 시작되어 2021년에 완료되었다. 배수량 2,800톤의 이 상륙함은 해당 해군에서 두 번째로 큰 함정이며, 나이지리아가 운용한 최초의 동급 함정이었다. 56일에 걸친 항해 끝에 코로나19 상황에도 불구하고 2022년 아부자에 인도되었으며, 취역 3개월 후 첫 작전 배치를 수행했다.

이 함정은 쿠데타 시도 이후 기니비사우에 파견된 서아프리카경제공동체(ECOWAS) 안정화 지원 임무에 나이지리아 병력을 수송했다. 이는 2020년대 초반 서아프리카 지역에서 군사 반란이 증가하는 흐름과 관련된 사건이었다. Kada는 기니만과 대서양을 가로지르는 항해에서 병력과 경장갑 차량을 수송했으며, 나이지리아 해군은 이전에 부족했던 전략적 해상 수송 능력을 강조했다.

첫 배치 이후 나이지리아 해군의 LST-100은 지역 해상 훈련에 자주 참여하고 있으며, ECOWAS 및 아프리카연합 평화유지 임무 지원을 위해 차량과 장비를 계속 수송하고 있다.

Kada는 호주 상륙정 프로그램에도 영향을 미쳤다. 지난해 플랫폼 총괄 책임자인 Colin Bassett 준장이 이끄는 대표단이 연구 목적으로 나이지리아를 방문해 LST-100을 검토했다.

USNI News 그래픽

Bassett는 당시 현지 언론에 “호주 국방군은 현재 함대 갱신 프로그램을 추진 중이며, 연구 과정에서 NNS Kada를 성능과 현대 해군 요구 측면에서 최상급 선택지로 확인했다”고 말했다. “이 함정은 세계에서 가장 잘 설계된 상륙함 중 하나로 평가되며, 실제 운용 효율을 직접 확인하고자 한다.”

향후 몇 년 동안 호주는 전차, 보병전투차, 고기동 로켓포를 수송하기 위해 이러한 상륙함 8척을 도입할 계획이다. 건조는 2026년부터 2028년 사이 Austal의 헨더슨 조선소에서 이루어질 예정이다. 다른 상륙 전력 사업과 함께 이 계획은 “제2차 세계대전 이후 육군 연안 전력의 최대 규모 재편”으로 평가되고 있다.

미군에서는 이 함정이 맥클렁급 중형 상륙함으로 불리며, 해병대는 이를 인도태평양 및 대함 미사일로 무장한 연안 연대 작전의 핵심 전력으로 강조하고 있다. 해병대는 Force Design 계획에 따라 중국과의 전투에 대비해 분산된 감시 및 지역 거부 작전을 지원하는 용도로 이 함정을 운용할 구상을 갖고 있다.

해군은 이전에 육군의 Frank S. Besson급 4,200톤 상륙함 파생형을 선택했으나, 12월 프로그램 변경 이후 Damen의 LST-100이 최종 선정되었다. 위스콘신의 Fincantieri Marinette Marine과 미시시피의 Bollinger Shipyards가 해당 급의 첫 함정들을 건조할 예정이다.

Ship that Debuted with the Nigerian Navy will be Key for Future U.S., Australian Naval Forces - USNI News

Ship that Debuted with the Nigerian Navy will be Key for Future U.S., Australian Naval Forces - USNI News

Ship that Debuted with the Nigerian Navy will be Key for Future U.S., Australian Naval Forces

Aaron-Matthew Lariosa

April 29, 2026 12:22 PM

Damen LST-100

A class of landing vessels designed by a Dutch firm – first built in the United Arab Emirates and debuted by the Nigerian Navy – will become the mainstay of U.S. Marine Corps and Australian Defense Force amphibious operations across the Indo-Pacific Region in the coming decades.

Within the last two years, Washington and Canberra have locked onto Damen’s LST-100 designs to meet their demand for littoral maneuvers assets to ferry specialized ground formations to the various archipelagic areas of the Indo-Pacific during a conflict with China, according to separate announcements from the defense contractor. While smaller than the traditional large deck amphibious vessels deployed by both nations, these landing ship transports will allow American and Australian forces to disperse their new littoral formations equipped to counter China’s naval forces with mobile infantry and area denial assets.

Before its selection to meet the requirements of the Marine Corps Landing Ship Medium and Australian Landing Craft Heavy programs, the LST-100 was first ordered by the Nigerian Navy.

Damen LST-100 concept art

Construction on the launch vessel, NNS Kada (LST-1314), began in 2019 at Damen’s Albwardy Damen shipyard in the United Arab Emirates and concluded in 2021. The 2,800-ton amphibious vessel – the second largest in the service’s fleet – was the first of its kind to be operated by Nigeria. Following a 56-day-long voyage, the first LST-100 was delivered to Abuja in 2022 despite COVID-19 disruptions. Three months after its commissioning, Kada conducted its first operational deployment.

The LST-100 deployed Nigeria’s contingent to the Economic Community of West African States’ (ECOWAS) stabilization support mission in Guinea Bissau following a coup attempt, itself related to a trend of military revolts across West African states throughout the early 2020s. Kada transported personnel and lightly armored vehicles in a voyage across the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic. A Nigerian Navy media report highlighted the vessel’s strategic sealift capabilities, which the service previously lacked.

Since its first deployment, the Nigerian Navy’s LST-100 has frequently deployed for regional maritime drills, and it continues to ferry vehicles and equipment in support of ECOWAS and African Union peacekeeping missions.

Kada has also played a role in informing the Australian Landing Craft program. Last year, a delegation headed by Brigadier Colin Bassett, Director-General Platforms, visited Nigeria to examine LST-100 for research purposes.

USNI News graphic

“The Australian Defense Force is currently undertaking a fleet renewal program, and in the course of our research, we identified NNS Kada as a top-tier option in terms of capability and modern naval requirements,” Bassett told local media at the time. “It is recognized as one of the best-designed Landing Ship Tanks in the world, and we are keen to understand its operational efficiency firsthand.”

In the coming years, Australia plans to commission eight of the amphibious vessels to transport tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and High Mobility Rocket Artillery Systems. Construction will be done at Austal’s Henderson Shipyard between 2026 to 2028. Together with additional amphibious programs, Canberra has described the initiative as the “largest recapitalization of the Army’s littoral capability since [World War II].”

Known as the McClung-class Landing Ship Mediums in American service, the Marine Corps has highlighted the vessels as crucial for Indo-Pacific and anti-ship missile-armed littoral regiment operations. The service envisions their deployment to support dispersed sensing and area denial operations identified under Force Design, the Marine Corps plan to gear its forces and capabilities toward a fight against China.

While the Navy previously picked a derivative of the Army’s Frank S. Besson-class 4,200-ton landing ship, Damen’s LST-100 was chosen following a program change in December. Fincantieri Marinette Marine in Wisconsin and Mississippi-based Bollinger Shipyards will construct the first landing ships of the class.

Aaron-Matthew Lariosa

Aaron-Matthew Lariosa is a freelance defense journalist based in Washington, D.C.

[백선호]

2차대전식 LST와 생긴 것이 거의 비슷하니 2차대전 때의 LST가 얼마나 혁신적인 물건이었는지 알겠네요.

[위종민]

뉴포트 뉴스처럼 함수에서 다리 내려오는 방식도 아니고 함수가 열리는 LST가 다시 흥할 줄은 몰랐습니다 ㅎㅎㅎ