Two of Three US Navy Ships Deployed for Mine Countermeasures in Persian Gulf Spotted in Malaysia

Two of the three US Navy Independence-class littoral combat ships (LCS) that served as minesweepers in the Middle East have been spotted in Malaysia.

This was reported by TWZ.

The USS Canberra, USS Tulsa, and USS Santa Barbara arrived in Bahrain in 2025 to replace four Avenger-class mine countermeasure ships, which were sent for scrapping in January 2026.

Spotter Sherwind Kessler published photos of the USS Tulsa and USS Santa Barbara in Malaysia, which, according to him, were taken on March 15 at the North Butterworth Container Terminal (NBCT) in the Port of Penang.

The USS Tulsa and USS Santa Barbara, like the USS Canberra, are among a limited number of Independence-class ships equipped with a mine countermeasures module. Despite initial plans, during testing of the module, it became clear that not all components fit into the designated compartment on Independence-class ships. Therefore, the Navy had to abandon the idea of modularity, which would have allowed for rapid payload changes for different types of missions, and install the modules on a permanent basis.

In its current configuration, this suite includes a towed sonar mine detection system, Common Unmanned Surface Vehicles (CUSVs) equipped for mine sweeping, as well as mine detection and disposal systems for ship-based MH-60 Sea Hawk helicopters.

As the publication notes, the USS Tulsa was in a Bahraini port as of at least February 9, and the USS Santa Barbara was operating in the Persian Gulf as of at least January 30. It is currently unknown where the third ship — the USS Canberra, which was also in the Middle East as of at least January — is located. It is also unknown whether other mine countermeasure ships are heading to the region.

An analysis of satellite imagery conducted by the publication using Planet Labs’ commercial archive did not detect any US military ships in the port of Manama after February 23. The joint US-Israeli operation against Iran began on February 28.

Although withdrawing US warships from the port of Bahrain — which lies within range of Iranian missiles and long-range kamikaze drones — on the eve of the conflict was a prudent move for security reasons, it is currently unclear why the decision was subsequently made to send the USS Tulsa and USS Santa Barbara thousands of kilometers to the east.

“The Tulsa and Santa Barbara are making brief logistical stops in Malaysia. US forces regularly call at Malaysian ports as part of our operations, reflecting the close and longstanding military cooperation between the US and Malaysia,” said US Navy Commander Joe Gontz in response to a query from TWZ.

On March 10, it became known that Iran had likely begun mining the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s major maritime arteries, through which approximately one-fifth of global oil exports pass.

Small vessels capable of carrying two to three mines each are used for the mining operation. Although the exact number of sea mines in Iran’s arsenal is not publicly known, various estimates over the years have ranged from approximately 2,000 to 6,000 units of Iranian, Chinese, and Russian manufacture.

The following day, US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated that on March 10, the US military destroyed 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels near the Strait of Hormuz.

The extent to which Iran has already mined the strait remains unknown, but the very attempt to lay mines poses a serious potential threat to the safety of navigation, which will have to be taken into account during any future attempts to resume traffic through this critically important waterway.