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2026-03-12 Science & Technology

4 Minesweepers Withdrawn from Middle East in January Arrivied in Philly Yesterday to be Scrapped

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Posted by Clem+Elmish4239 2026-03-12 00:00|| E-Mail|| Front Page|| [1775 views ] Top

1 It seems like the Navy is determined to find a use for the LCS. I recently read (somewhere) that the LCS's were finding a fit in this conflict. The retirement of these four minesweepers looks like a case of bad timing.

Posted by Whiskey Mike 2026-03-12 04:33|| 2026-03-12 04:33|| Front Page Top

2 The real tragedy is that the US has no replacement for these ships, and none scheduled. We rely 100% on helicopter minesweeping, which is not completely effective.

Posted by Old Patriot 2026-03-12 08:19|| 2026-03-12 08:19|| Front Page Top

3 From Wikipedia:
"The hulls of the Avenger-class ships are constructed of wood with an external coating of fiberglass. The wood used is oak, Douglas fir and Nootka Cypress because of their flexibility, strength and low weight. This construction allows the hull to withstand a nearby blast from a mine, and gives the ship a low magnetic signature."

Yea, wooden hulls, they tend to be high maintenance subject to wood eating worms and rots.

The fiberglass covering the wood doesn't help, it holds in moisture and promote rot.

Posted by Seeking Cure For Ignorance 2026-03-12 09:24|| 2026-03-12 09:24|| Front Page Top

4 Seems like drone boats are the bigger threat now, and perhaps conventional mine sweepers are not useful enough and too vulnerable?

Posted by Glenmore 2026-03-12 09:42|| 2026-03-12 09:42|| Front Page Top

5 Operating cost of a minesweeper per hour vs. a phalanx of mine finding drone units?

Posted by swksvolFF 2026-03-12 09:48|| 2026-03-12 09:48|| Front Page Top

6 US Naval Institute stated they were decommissioned last year and are just arriving back in the US now on a heavy lift ship. The average age of the Avenger class is 35+ years and the last ones were bought in 1990.

Posted by Chantry 2026-03-12 11:16|| 2026-03-12 11:16|| Front Page Top

7 An old ship is better than no ship.

Posted by Matt 2026-03-12 11:31|| 2026-03-12 11:31|| Front Page Top

8 Evidently 'defense planners' never envisioned the Mullahs mining the Strait of Hormuz. One would think the topic might have come up a time or two over the past 47 years or so.

Posted by Besoeker 2026-03-12 12:58|| 2026-03-12 12:58|| Front Page Top

9 Minesweepers: where Navy careers go to die.

Posted by Omans Slath8956 2026-03-12 14:25|| 2026-03-12 14:25|| Front Page Top

10 The average age of the Avenger class is 35+ years and the last ones were bought in 1990.

So, they were expendable. Any floatie can be a minesweeper once.

Posted by Procopius2k 2026-03-12 15:57|| 2026-03-12 15:57|| Front Page Top

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