In what appears to be their final voyage after being decommissioned, the four Avenger-class mine countermeasures ships of the U.S. Navy have been withdrawn from the Middle East, clearing the way for the more modern Independence-class LCS. Through the release of new images on its official channels, the service confirmed that USS Devastator, USS Dextrous, USS Gladiator, and USS Sentry have already departed from their former base in Bahrain, being transported aboard the heavy-lift cargo vessel M/V Seaway Hawk, chartered for the occasion, which loaded the four ships on 9 January.
Referring to the move, NAVCENT stated in an official release: “The decommissioned Avenger-class mine countermeasures ships were safely relocated as part of U.S. Navy force transition efforts in the region. The movement evolution required detailed planning, coordination, and rigorous execution to ensure the safe transport of the decommissioned MCMs (…) These efforts support the fleet’s continued readiness and the responsible transition of legacy platforms, while maintaining operational momentum and mission effectiveness across the maritime domain.“
It is worth noting in this regard that the four ships recently withdrawn from the Middle East will have Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as their final destination, where they are expected to be handed over to Sealift Inc. to carry out the corresponding dismantling work. This follows from a contract signed between the company and the U.S. Navy over the course of last year, involving an investment of close to $7 million and setting completion deadlines for next February.
Following the decommissioning of the aforementioned ships, the U.S. Navy is left with only four Avenger-class vessels in service, which are currently deployed in Japan but are also nearing retirement by the service. Originally, the force operated a fleet of fourteen ships of this type, commissioned between 1987 and 1994.
On the other hand, if we briefly review the characteristics of the Avenger class, it can be noted that these are ships with a displacement of more than 1,300 tons and a length of around 224 feet. Their primary function is the detection and neutralization of enemy-laid mines, including those that are submerged, for which they are equipped with a specialized sonar and a radar capable of detecting mines laid on the surface. They also have a sweeping system that emits acoustic and magnetic signals virtually identical to those of a ship to trigger certain types of mines at a safe distance, as well as small submersibles capable of cutting mooring cables and neutralizing threats on the seabed.
For their part, Independence-class ships will feature specialized modules for these tasks, including a towed sonar and new unmanned surface vehicles with the aforementioned mine-sweeping systems, capabilities that are in turn complemented by embarked MH-60 Sea Hawk helicopters equipped with detection systems to support the mission. As early as the beginning of last year, the U.S. Navy even managed to configure USS Canberra to that standard, deploying it to Bahrain in May 2025.
However, the choice of these ships has not been free of obstacles and criticism, chiefly pointing to technical problems associated with the platform and the limited firepower they possess for operating in hostile environments—leading to the need to deploy complementary capabilities to provide greater protection. In addition, it has been noted that they are considerably larger than the Avenger class, which undoubtedly forces a rethink of procedures for operating in potentially mined areas.
*Image credits: Petty Officer Second Class Iain Page
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