The U.S. Withdraws 2 "Mine Sweepers" from the Middle East, Sparking Speculation

[Global Times Comprehensive Report] As the Trump administration in the United States plans to form a multinational "Hormuz Strait Escort Alliance," the U.S. Navy's "Power" website's "Battlefield" channel discovered on March 15 that two littoral combat ships deployed in the Middle East for mine-clearing missions have appeared in Malaysia. The U.S. Navy had previously deployed three littoral combat ships equipped with mine-clearing mission modules in the Middle East, which means that if Iran were to block the Hormuz Strait with mines, the U.S. Navy would currently have only one littoral combat ship left to respond.

According to reports, the two littoral combat ships "Tulsa" and "Santa Barbara" that appeared in a Malaysian port are among the few U.S. Navy "Independence" class littoral combat ships equipped with mine-clearing mission modules. This module includes shipboard towed mine-hunting sonar, unmanned surface vessels equipped with mine-clearing devices, and mine detection and clearance equipment carried by MH-60 "Seahawk" helicopters. The four "Avenger" class dedicated mine warfare ships previously deployed by the U.S. Navy in the Middle East were retired last year. After these four mine warfare ships were removed from the Middle East in January, the U.S. Navy reassigned three littoral combat ships equipped with mine-clearing mission modules to carry out mine-clearing tasks in the region.

There have been ongoing concerns that Iran may use mines to block the Hormuz Strait. Reports indicate that mine-clearing operations need to be conducted in relatively safe environments, and the risks of such missions are very high. It is currently unclear why two U.S. Navy littoral combat ships capable of mine-clearing are located thousands of kilometers away at a time when it is most critical to clear the Hormuz Strait. Currently, only one "Canberra" class littoral combat ship remains capable of mine-clearing in the region, but its specific location is unknown, and it is unclear whether other U.S. mine warfare ships are en route to the Middle East to provide support. Since the end of the Cold War, the U.S. Navy's mine-clearing capabilities have continued to decline. Currently, the U.S. Navy has only four remaining "Avenger" class mine warfare ships, all deployed in Japan, which will be retired in the coming years.

There are also doubts about the "Independence" class littoral combat ships' ability to perform mine-clearing missions. Although on paper they appear to be much more advanced than the "Avenger" class mine warfare ships and possess new long-range mine-clearing capabilities, there has been skepticism about whether a metal-hulled littoral combat ship equipped with mine-clearing devices is sufficient to replace specialized vessels built specifically for this task.

In May 2025, a senior U.S. Navy mine warfare officer detailed significant issues with the mine countermeasure systems of this type of vessel at a non-classified meeting. It was reported that the littoral combat ships require several hours of preparation time to use unmanned underwater vehicles, and the sonar sometimes struggles to detect underwater threats; even in the relatively calm waters of Southern California, using mine-clearing systems for visual confirmation of mines is extremely challenging. The meeting also revealed that the mine countermeasure systems included in the mine-clearing mission module and the equipment required for deploying and recovering these systems all have potential failure risks. (Chen Yang)