The mine countermeasure ship USS Pioneer, seen here in the East China Sea on May 9, 2020, departed Singapore on a northwest course toward the Middle East on April 10, 2026. (Irving Garcia/U.S. Navy)
Two U.S. Navy minesweepers based in Japan have been tracked heading toward the Middle East as the United States prepares for mine-clearing operations in the Strait of Hormuz.
The USS Chief and USS Pioneer, Avenger-class mine countermeasure ships homeported at Sasebo Naval Base, departed Singapore on April 10 and were moving northwest through the Strait of Malacca, according to ship-tracking data from MarineTraffic.org.
The vessels had arrived in Singapore two days earlier, according to ship-spotting site WarshipCam.net.
Their destination has not been officially disclosed, but their course aligns with recent statements from U.S. Central Command about preparations to clear naval mines in the strategically vital waterway.
“Today, we began the process of establishing a new passage and we will share this safe pathway with the maritime industry soon to encourage the free flow of commerce,” Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM’s commander, said in an April 11 news release.
CENTCOM said additional assets, including underwater drones, are expected to support the effort. The littoral combat ship USS Tulsa, which also has mine countermeasure capabilities, passed through the Strait of Malacca on April 2.
The Chief and Pioneer, commissioned in 1994 and 1992, respectively, are among four Avenger-class ships based in Sasebo. The vessels are designed with wooden hulls coated in fiberglass to reduce their magnetic signature and are equipped with sonar, remote detonators and other systems to detect and neutralize mines, according to the Naval Surface Force Atlantic website.
Both the Pentagon and U.S. 7th Fleet — responsible for the ships while they’re in the Western Pacific — declined to comment Thursday, citing operational security concerns. CENTCOM did not respond to an email requesting comment.
The Strait of Hormuz remains a critical chokepoint for global commerce and a focal point in tensions between the United States and Iran.
The day after announcing the mine-removal operation, CENTCOM began a blockade of “all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports,” according to a news release Monday.
“The blockade will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman,” the command said in a Sunday release.
Since then, 10 vessels have been turned around, with no ships breaking through, CENTCOM announced Wednesday on X. An Iranian-flagged cargo vessel attempted to evade the blockade but was redirected by the guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance.
