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| The cargo ship M/V Seaway Hawk transports decommissioned Avenger-class minesweepers to the United States. January 2026. Photo credits: USN |
Four decommissioned US Navy Avenger-class minesweeper ships left Bahrain aboard the transport ship M/V Seaway Hawk.
After many years of service in the region, they are being prepared for disposal, according to The War Zone.
For decades, the Avengers were deployed in the Persian Gulf, performing mine countermeasure tasks.
Loading of Avenger-class minesweepers onto the cargo ship M/V Seaway Hawk. January 9, 2026. Photo credits: USN
The Avenger class consisted of 14 ships built between 1987 and 1994. Four of them are still in service in Japan, but are also scheduled to be decommissioned in the coming years.
Last year, it was stated in the tender that the ships would be transported from Bahrain to Philadelphia. Sealift, Inc. was awarded a contract worth approximately $7 million to complete the work by February 2026.
venger-class ships are 68 meters long and have a displacement of 1,312 tons. They are equipped with sonar for mine detection, towed trawls, and remotely operated underwater vehicles.
Their wooden hulls, covered with fiberglass, reduced their vulnerability to magnetic mines.
The Independence-class ships were supposed to replace the Avengers several years ago, but delays in the development of modules and technical problems postponed the process.
The Independence-class mine minesweeper USS Canberra escorts the M/V Seaway Hawk. January 20, 2026. Photo credits: USN
The first two mine countermeasure modules were installed on the USS Santa Barbara and USS Canberra in 2025.
The Canberra arrived in Bahrain in May and later even escorted the Seaway Hawk with the Avengers deployed.
Key technical characteristics of the Avenger:
Displacement: 1,312 tons
Length: 68 meters
Width: 12 meters
Maximum speed: 14 knots
Crew: 84
Armament: 4 × 12.7 mm machine guns
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