Just over two months after the retirement of the Avenger-class mine countermeasures ship from the Middle East was confirmed, the United States Navy redeployed two of its Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) specialized in mine countermeasures to the Pacific, which, according to the institution, only constitutes a logistical stop and not a diversion of the platforms amid the offensive against Iran. Specifically, these are the USS Tulsa (LCS-16) and USS Santa Barbara (LCS-32), which were photographed at the North Butterworth Container Terminal (NBCT) in Malaysia on March 15.
In statements to the specialized outlet The War Zone, the spokesperson for Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT), Commander Joe Hontz, stated: “The Tulsa and Santa Bárbara are conducting brief logistical port calls in Malaysia. U.S. forces routinely make port calls in Malaysian ports as part of our operations, reflecting the close and enduring military cooperation between the United States and Malaysia.” For now, no details were provided regarding how long they will remain there, nor was it indicated whether other types of assets had been deployed as replacements. The whereabouts of the USS Canberra (LCS-30), another LCS previously deployed in the Middle East for mine countermeasure missions, were also not mentioned.
It is worth recalling that both the USS Tulsa (LCS-16) and the USS Santa Barbara (LCS-32) had been deployed by the United States Navy to Bahrain since last year, one of the Middle Eastern countries targeted by Iranian attacks following the outbreak of hostilities as part of Operation Epic Fury. To perform their new role, both ships were modified with a package of specialized mine warfare equipment, including a towed sonar for detection, as well as surface naval drones configured for sweeping tasks and the addition of an embarked MH-60 Seahawk helicopter.
However, even though the LCS represent a capability leap compared to the aging Avenger-class mine countermeasures ship, it must also be considered that they have already been criticized by U.S. analysts and officers for their characteristics—particularly their size for the waters they are meant to operate in and their metal hulls, which are considered less suitable for mine warfare; traditionally, wooden hulls coated with fiberglass were used. In addition, the drones employed have reportedly shown issues with their radar in detecting potential threats on previous occasions, while the AN/AQS-20mine detection system has also reportedly presented errors even in low sea-state conditions.
Another critical aspect to consider is that the Littoral Combat Ship was conceived as a multi-mission vessel rather than a platform dedicated exclusively to mine countermeasures. Beyond technical considerations, this has important implications for their crews, which must undergo specialized training to operate effectively in highly complex environments such as the Middle East—particularly in the Strait of Hormuz.
On the other hand, as noted by U.S. analysts, both the USS Tulsa (LCS-16) and the USS Santa Barbara (LCS-32)remained in Bahrain at least until early February, while the USS Canberra (LCS-30) was reportedly in the region until at least late January. This indicates that their transit to the Pacific is very recent, which—despite the official explanation of a routine stop in Malaysia—raises suspicions about concerns over Iranian attacks against ships not heavily armed to withstand them, especially while in port.
In any case, the fact remains that the United States Navy would now have a significantly reduced mine countermeasure capability in waters near Iran. This is due not only to the redeployment of the Littoral Combat Ship to the Pacific, but also the withdrawal of the older Avenger-class mine countermeasures ship to the United States. As we reported yesterday, the ships USS Devastator (MCM-6), USS Dextrous (MCM-13), USS Gladiator (MCM-11) and USS Sentry (MCM-3) have already arrived in Philadelphia aboard the M/V Seaway Hawk, where the company Sealift Inc. is expected to proceed with their scrapping, a process for which Washington allocated approximately $7 million. The last four ships of the class still in service are located in Japan, awaiting a similar fate in the coming years.
*Images used for illustrative purposes.
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