ships, and perhaps twice that number or more. It is envisaged that they will be a family of vessels built upon a common modular design, rather than single type. In December 2021 Austal USA was selected for the program's design study at a cost of $2 million. In essence, these are the same problems that other countries that operate or are acquiring joint supply ships faced. Furthermore, it is also important to recognise the significance of the downsizing of the proposed NGLS vessels in respect to the USN's future plans. This all leads to the question - could the USN develop a JSS in the near future to satisfy its emerging needs? While there is no such vessel currently planned, the new NGLS could be considered as a JSS in all but name, although it remains to be seen until the design is finalised as to whether these ships will feature the amphibious operations capability of similar ships in other navies. External links Austral USA BMT Group Ltd Damen Shipyard Group (Damen Holding B.V.) MTG Marinetechnik GmbH Navantia Seaspan Shipyards Joint Supply Ship Notes References Ship types Amphibious warfare vessels Auxiliary ships