The Dutch shipyard Damen announced on 13 February the models for the two Logistics Support Ships (LSS). Zona Militar spoke with Piet van Rooij, Commercial Manager of Defence & Security at Damen Shipyards Group, about why the company is confident that the LSSs can become breakout stars regarding naval support vessels.
The LSS consists of two types: the LSS 9000 and LSS 11000. In response to a question about whether there are already orders for either of the LSSs, Van Rooij explained, “at this moment, there are no firm orders,” but the company is “already in discussion with clients regarding the new LSS in an addition to the fleet as also as a replacement of current capacity.”
Regarding the capabilities of the new ships, the LSSs will facilitate the “efficient transfer and transport” of fuel, munitions, provisions, personnel, and other essential supplies, the company explained in a press release. Damen’s objective is for the LSSs to become “the backbone” of naval logistics by enabling fleets to remain operational far from their home port during an extended deployment.
The LSS 9000 and LSS 11000 are 127 and 140 meters long, respectively. They will have a speed of 18 knots, with a crew of 57. With an endurance of up to 26-30 days, the ships can voyage around 10 thousand nautical miles at cruising speed. The ships have a hangar and helideck for a helicopter and can also deploy uncrewed aerial vehicles. The equipment aboard includes a 3D/4D Surveillance Radar (with a range of around 100km) and a tactical data link (Links 16 and 22) for communication.
The weapons systems include a Close-In Weapons System (CIWS), two 20mm remote-controlled guns, two 12.7 mm heavy machine guns, and up to four decoy systems. For both models of ships, the Aft Mission Bay can be converted to temporary accommodation (around 96 hours) for up to 80 embarked forces.
Damen explained that because of the LSS’s modular design, the ship can be “easily and rapidly” configured and upgraded for special operational requirements, particularly because they have roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) capabilities. The ships also are also equipped with NATO-standard replenishment at sea (RAS) technology. “The vessel has NATO-level replenishment capabilities but can take normal cargo and containers on/in the vessel and Ro-Ro cargo under the deck, making the LSS a more hybrid platform,” van Rooij explained. Besides combat missions, the ships can be utilized for humanitarian assistance/disaster relief missions and training exercises for the force.
The Dutch shipyard has recently completed the construction of the Combat Support Ship (CSS) Den Helder (A834) for the Dutch Navy. The new ship is currently undergoing sea trials. Zona Militar recently wrote about the new CSS, which will be commissioned this spring 2025.
In response to a question about the differences and similarities between the CSS and LSS, the Damen executive explained that the LSS “is most suitable for a midsize navy and is not as big and super sophisticated as the Combat Support Vessel [which we are manufacturing for] the Royal Netherlands Navy.” Van Roij noted, “the CSS is a military vessel in all aspects, while the LSS is not.” The design for the Logistical Support Ship is “based on commercial regulations and complies with MARPOL [International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships] regulations (tanker rules). Areas like separate engine rooms and military stability systems were implemented to give the vessel the necessary robustness as a vessel.”
According to the Military Balance 2025, published by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), the Dutch Navy operates the landing platform docks the Rotterdam (L800) and the Johan de Witt (L801), the multifunctional support ship HNLMS Karel Doorman (A833), in addition to the future CSS. It is plausible to assume that the Dutch Navy will be the first to order an LSS to diversify its fleet of support vessels.
Van Rooij concluded that the LSS is designed so that a customer can acquire this asset “at an affordable price. We hope that navies with very old vessels with single hull configuration will step over to better and environmentally safer vessels for their logistics.” Shipyards across South American countries like Chile, Colombia, and Peru are building, or have recently built, a variety of support transport vessels for local (and some international) customers. Perhaps the Argentine navy could be interested in Damen’s Logistical Support Ship to regain lost capabilities.
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