Overview
The U.S. Navy is seeking to expedite maintenance work on two littoral combat ships that have been refitted for mine-countermeasure duties and are currently in Singapore, a senior U.S. official said on Wednesday. The goal is to get the vessels back to the Persian Gulf where they operate from Bahrain as quickly as possible, according to the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity and did not provide a specific timeline.
Operational context
The official acknowledged that U.S. forces face limited options in the Indian Ocean to sustain the Bahrain-based ships while they are laid up 6,300 km (3,915 miles) away in Singapore. He said the Navy hopes to minimise the period the vessels spend undergoing maintenance so they can return to their theatre of operations.
The ships have been at sea for an extended period because of military operations and therefore required refitting and maintenance, the official said. These steps are intended to ready the ships for an operational return to the Persian Gulf.
Security and regional threats
The remarks come amid heightened concerns about Iranian activity in and around the Strait of Hormuz. The official said Tehran has attacked countries that host U.S. bases and effectively closed the strait, a key transit route for about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas, producing what the official described as the worst energy supply shock in history.
Sources have said Iran has deployed mines in the Strait of Hormuz. Additionally, Iran’s Defence Council warned on Monday that various types of mines, including floating mines deployed from the coast, could be used in response to a U.S. blockade of Kharg Island, Tehran’s principal oil export facility.
Current mine-warfare capabilities
When asked what minesweeping capacity the United States currently maintains in the Middle East while the two ships are in Singapore, the official listed available mine-warfare resources. Those include unmanned undersea vehicles, four Avenger-class vessels, helicopters and divers. He also noted that Bahrain-based Avenger-class ships, which were designed as minesweepers, have been decommissioned and replaced by littoral combat ships that can be fitted with mine-countermeasure equipment.
The official declined to provide a timetable for the completion of the Singapore maintenance work but said the Navy intends to complete the refurbishing as soon as possible so the ships can return to their Bahrain-based operations.