DUBAI/LONDON, March 1 (Reuters) – At least three tankers were damaged off the Gulf coast and one seafarer was killed as Iranian retaliation for U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran exposed ships to collateral damage, shipping sources and officials said on Sunday.Risks to commercial shipping have surged in the past 24 hours, with more than 200 vessels including oil and liquefied gas tankers dropping anchor around the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters, shipping data showed on Sunday.
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The report also raised the possibility that the Straits of Hormuz will be mined.
Iran, a pioneer in lower-end uncrewed surface vessel technology, used at least one to attack the oil tanker MKD VYOM in the Gulf of Oman.
At least one vessel has been hit and severely damaged by a kamikaze unmanned surface vessel.
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What will the cutters be doing?
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CENTCOM which is the combatant commander over the operations against Iran, no longer has any Navy minesweepers, Cyclone class patrol craft, or MkVI patrol boats.
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They do have three Independence class LCS USS Santa Barbara (LCS 32), USS Tulsa (LCS-16), and USS Canberra (LCS 30), equipped for mine countermeasures. They may also be equipped with Naval Strike Missile, 30mm guns, and Hellfire missiles in addition to the 57mm gun and Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM). They may also be launching UAS.
A Low-cost Unmanned Combat Attack System (LUCAS) successfully launches from the flight deck of the Independence-class littoral combat ship USS Santa Barbara (LCS 32) while operating in the Arabian Gulf, Dec. 16. Task Force 59 operated the LUCAS drone, which is part of Task Force Scorpion Strike, a one-way attack drone squadron recently deployed to the Middle East. 16 December 2025. Cpl. Kayla Mc Guire
The six Webber class WPCs assigned to PATFORSWA are reasonably well equipped for “Force Protection” missions with systems appropriate for countering UAS and USVs. They have a short range air search radar and an electronic counter-measures system. I have also heard their gun has been upgraded to the 30mm which would allow it to fire air burst rounds, but I don’t have confirmation on that.
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If valuable units need to transit the Strait there is a good chance PATFORSWA will provide escorts. Their boats may also be providing a degree of mobile protection against UAS.
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How Deep Is our Magazine?:
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So far, Air Defense has done a great job, but we and our allies are expending a limited supply of very expensive ammunition to shoot down less costly missiles and UAS. How soon supplies of these counter-measures will run low and will we be able to replace them are questions that I can’t answer, but if we do run low, the importance of our FRCs local defense capability will become more crucial.
Chuck Hill's CG Blog 