Rising concerns over possible Iranian mining of the Strait of Hormuz have highlighted weaknesses in the US Navy’s mine warfare capabilities. With the retirement of Avenger-class minesweepers, the mission has shifted to Littoral Combat Ship equipped with unmanned systems, helicopters, and specialized mine-countermeasure packages, reports David Hutchins of DefenseOne.

However, these systems face doubts over effectiveness, speed, and survivability in a heavily contested environment, raising questions about how quickly and safely the Navy could clear mines while operating under missile and drone threats. They write:

It’s not clear whether Iran has put naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, but its longstanding ability to do so is part of the reason ships have all but stopped moving through the critical global chokepoint. The time may come for the U.S. Navy’s littoral combat ships to demonstrate their long-touted ability to hunt mines. […]

Last fall, the Navy decommissioned the backbone of its minehunting capabilities: the four Avenger-class minesweepers stationed in Bahrain; four more remain elsewhere in the fleet. Purpose-built for mine warfare, the Avengers have wooden hulls wrapped in fiberglass to reduce magnetic signatures that trigger mines. But the Avengers are slow, outdated, lack any meaningful self-defense systems, and can’t launch helicopters or unmanned systems.

The Avengers were replaced in the Persian Gulf by the long-controversial littoral combat ships: high-speed, agile surface combatants designed for near-shore surface warfare, anti-submarine operations, and mine countermeasures. […]

even if the LCSs are sent to the Persian Gulf, there are concerns around the capability of the LCS MCM MP. The unmanned assets require hours of pre-mission calibration. They cannot operate beyond line of sight ot the LCS. The AN/AQS-20 has struggled to identify g mines, even when tested in the relatively benign waters of Southern California. Perhaps most concerning, the Pentagon’s testing office said in March 2026 that it could not determine the operational effectiveness of the LCS equipped with the MCM MP.

Finally, mine-clearing is a slow, deliberate process made even more arduous when occurring in an environment contested by Iranian missiles and drones. Neither the purpose-built Avenger-class nor the LCS equipped with a relatively unproven MCM mission package would likely prove effective without a robust military escort.

Read more here.