Two U.S. Navy ships specialized in mine countermeasures, the USS Tulsa and the USS Santa Barbara, were spotted at a port in Malaysia, despite previously being assigned to operations in the Middle East.
The vessels had been sent to Bahrain to replace older Avenger-class mine countermeasure ships. Their presence in Southeast Asia comes amid escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran-linked attacks have disrupted much of the commercial maritime traffic.
The ships belong to the Independence class and operate with a specialized mine warfare module that includes towed sonar, CUSV surface drones, and MH-60 Seahawk helicopters equipped to detect and neutralize explosives at sea. These systems were introduced to gradually replace the older Avenger-class ships, which had reinforced wooden hulls to reduce magnetic signatures and lower the risk of detonating mines.
The departure of these vessels from Bahrain occurred before the start of the joint U.S. and Israeli military operation against Iran at the end of February. Authorities considered it prudent to remove warships from the port of Manama, as the region is within range of Iranian missiles and drones. Even so, experts question why the ships were moved to such a distant area, as this reduces the availability of assets to deal with potential naval mines in the Gulf.
The concern is relevant because Iran has previously used naval mines, and there are recent reports of attempts to mine routes near the Strait of Hormuz. While the United States evaluates the possibility of escorting commercial ships through the region in the coming weeks, the absence of some mine-clearing assets may complicate efforts to fully reopen this strategic global trade route.
Source: The War Zone | Photo: X @USNavy | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team
The two U.S. Navy Littoral Combat Ships, USS Tulsa (LCS-16) and USS Santa Barbara (LCS-32), which had been deployed to the Middle East for mine countermeasures operations are now docked at the North Butterworth Container Terminal in Penang, Malaysia.
Their redeployment leaves… pic.twitter.com/yWGplEGt5x
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