Last Four US Navy Avenger-Class Minesweepers Leave Bahrain for Disposal

Four decommissioned US Navy Avenger-class minesweeper ships left Bahrain aboard the transport ship M/V Seaway Hawk.

After many years of service in the region, they are being prepared for disposal, according to The War Zone.

For decades, the Avengers were deployed in the Persian Gulf, performing mine countermeasure tasks.

Now their functions have been transferred to new Independence-class ships, which are gradually taking over these duties.

The US Navy Command press service has released photos of the USS Devastator, USS Dextrous, USS Gladiator, and USS Sentry being loaded onto the Seaway Hawk.

The Avenger class consisted of 14 ships built between 1987 and 1994. Four of them are still in service in Japan, but are also scheduled to be decommissioned in the coming years.

Last year, it was stated in the tender that the ships would be transported from Bahrain to Philadelphia. Sealift, Inc. was awarded a contract worth approximately $7 million to complete the work by February 2026.

Avenger-class ships are 68 meters long and have a displacement of 1,312 tons. They are equipped with sonar for mine detection, towed trawls, and remotely operated underwater vehicles.

Their wooden hulls, covered with fiberglass, reduced their vulnerability to magnetic mines.

The Independence-class ships were supposed to replace the Avengers several years ago, but delays in the development of modules and technical problems postponed the process.

The first two mine countermeasure modules were installed on the USS Santa Barbara and USS Canberra in 2025.

The Canberra arrived in Bahrain in May and later even escorted the Seaway Hawk with the Avengers deployed.

Key technical characteristics of the Avenger:

Displacement: 1,312 tons
Length: 68 meters
Width: 12 meters
Maximum speed: 14 knots
Crew: 84
Armament: 4 × 12.7 mm machine guns