Doubts deepen about San Diego warships’
ability to clear mines from Strait of Hormuz
The littoral combat ships
have yet to prove they are fully operational
and represent a class of ships
that has a long, troubled history
By Gary Robbins | The San Diego Union-Tribune
PUBLISHED: April 12, 2026 at 5:00 AM PDT |
UPDATED: April 13, 2026 at 5:38 PM PDT
"If war resumes with Iran,
(If?)
the U.S. could find it difficult to destroy
sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz
due to widespread problems
with certain San Diego-based warships
responsible for neutralizing such threats,
according to military,
government and industry experts."
"It’s a matter of great urgency. President Donald Trump says removing the mines is an essential part of reopening the strait, a pathway for nearly 25% of the world’s petroleum and crude oils."
"The Navy is experiencing the latest setback with its so-called littoral combat ships, or LCS, which were meant to be able to quickly and nimbly move into shallow, near-shore areas to sweep for mines, deal with enemy submarines, confront small surface craft and deploy special forces."
"There are two classes of LCS, Freedom and Independence. Both have suffered major mechanical and design problems, huge cost overruns and difficulty carrying out their primary missions, leading the Navy to decommission some of the ships years early. Many sailors say the vessel’s initials stand for “little crappy ship.”
"About 16 of the Independence-class LCS are homeported in San Diego. Three newer ones — the USS Canberra, USS Santa Barbara and USS Tulsa — are equipped with advanced mine countermeasure, or MCM, packages that were intended to be useful in areas such as the Persian Gulf, the site of many wars involving clashes in the littoral zone, or shallow coastal areas."
"The Defense Department said last year it is not sure the Independence-class littoral combat ships in question are fully operational, including their ability to do mine-countermeasure warfare. The General Accountability Office said in 2020 that the aluminum-hull ships are not designed to defend themselves against heavy attacks."
"And Defense and Security Monitor, among other military analysts, recently said that one of the ship’s key MCM assets “had challenges visually confirming mines, even when tested in the relatively benign waters of Southern California.”
"Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle disputed such concerns during a public speech in March, saying that LCS can be a “very, very good” asset when it’s performing properly. He and other top Navy officials have set aside little time to discuss such issues with the news media since the war began."
"Caudle’s comments, in part, referred to the three San Diego-based LCS, which have yet to be tested in battle.
"The San Diego vessels were working out of nearby Bahrain as the war began to unfold. The Navy quickly moved them beyond the war zone and has said little about what role they will play in the near future."
"All of this comes about six months after the Navy decommissioned four old, wooden Avenger-class MCM ships that had been working out of Bahrain. They were replaced by the San Diego LCS, which the Navy described as better, safer platforms."
"They can use an MH-60S Seahawk helicopter to find, identify and destroy mines. The aircraft is supplemented by in-water robots that find and classify a variety of mines at various depths, including some that are well hidden."
"The upgrade has not impressed
some defense and maritime analysts."
"The package “arrived late, over budget, and operationally problematic,” the Foreign Policy Research Institute said in review published in March."
“The unmanned surface vessels that form the heart of the package have suffered repeated reliability failures in testing … The sensors have proven ineffective in turbid or shallow waters — precisely the conditions found in the Persian Gulf.”
"The New Republic magazine recently expressed similar concerns, saying, “Mine-clearing is slow and deliberate work. To operate its unmanned sonar and neutralizing systems, the LCS must move in predictable patterns, making it an easy target for shore-based missiles, drones, and “swarm” attacks by fast-attack boats.”
"It is unclear how many mines Iran has placed in the Strait of Hormuz, a 104-mile-long waterway that links the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman. Its width ranges from 21 miles to 60 miles."
Citing unnamed sources,
Reuters said that roughly
a dozen mines
have been added.
That even sound remotely correct?
Propaganda much?
"the Strait of Hormuz,
a 104-mile-long waterway
Its width ranges from
21 miles to 60 miles."
So what good is 12 gonna do?)
"But the number could be far higher.
(Really?
What gave it away?
"the Strait of Hormuz,
a 104-mile-long waterway
Its width ranges from
21 miles to 60 miles."
"...CBS News, citing unnamed U.S. sources,
says Iran could have from
2,000 to 6,000 mines in its stockpile."
More like in the water.
AND WHY IN THE WORLD:
Navy's Avenger Class Mine Hunters
Have Left The Middle East For Good
"The last four Avengers
in Bahrain were carried off
on a heavy lift vessel
at a time of crisis,
where mining the Persian Gulf
could come into play.
The War Zone 1/26/2026
"Avengers had been forward-deployed to the Middle Eastern nation for years, where critical mine countermeasures duties have now passed to Independence class Littoral Combat Ships (LCS)."
"If the ships are due to be broken down, why the decision was made to return them to the United States first is unclear."
WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE HARM
IN LEAVING THEM THERE?
"The date stamps on the pictures show
the Avengers were physically loaded
onto the Seaway Hawk in Bahrain on January 9."
That aint quite what
By Gary Robbins | The San Diego Union-Tribune
Said:
"All of this comes
about six months
(More like three)
"after the Navy decommissioned four old,
wooden Avenger-class MCM ships
that had been working out of Bahrain.
So why did we move em out
just 50 days
before hostilities started?
Because they are blowing up
your world on purpose
and you are not going to stop them
and they know it.
Tuesday, December 3, 2024
AND WORLD GOVERNMENTS Part 1 of 4.
CHAPTER XI
BIBLICAL DEMONOLOGY AND WORLD GOVERNMENTS
IN EVERY AGE of human history and in every phase of daily life demons have played a tremendous and very important role. In no realm is their activity more significant than in the sphere of human government.
("All governments are illegal" RNM)
"In this area possibly more than in any other field of their operation their activity has frequently not been clearly discerned or even partially understood. Their invisible nature, their close and inseparable identity with their visible human agents, and the supernatural character of their operations have combined to clothe them and their wicked machinations and evil enterprises in ominous mystery. Innumerable multitudes without the light of divine revelation, and other multitudes possessing the Bible, but uninitiated into the truths of the "mystery of lawlessness" (II Thess. 2:7), cannot get beyond "flesh and blood" (Eph.6:12). They can see only the human actors upon the stage of history. Wicked rulers, ruthless dictators, tyrants, oppressors, kings, governors, and presidents are, to them, the real and only characters in the great drama of life as it affects the political realm. They have no idea at all of the unseen realm of evil personalities, energizing and motivating their human agents. "The principalities ... the powers ... the world rulers of this present darkness," and "the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Eph. 6:12, R.S.V.) are, so far as they are concerned, mere theological nonentities with which they do not reckon. However, in the realm of human government the unseen personalities of the evil supernatural sphere are just as real and active as their visible human agents."
Revelation 17:17
For God has put it into their hearts
to accomplish his purpose
by agreeing to hand over to the beast
their royal authority,
until God’s words are fulfilled.
It's the truth
just not how you think
it is.
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