What Could the LCS Do in the Middle East?
29th March 2026
Currently, two of the three LCS supposedly based in the Middle East have been moved (evacuated?) to Singapore.[1] The whereabouts of the third is unknown. Why aren’t they in the Middle East, perhaps ensuring the safe passage of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz? Isn’t this kind of mission exactly what they were designed for? As you recall, the original LCS concept was that they would boldly enter littoral (hence, the ship’s name) waters and neutralize mines, subs, surface, and land threats so that larger, more expensive ships could operate in the area with less risk.
So, why aren’t they there? Well, we all know the answer. The originally envisioned modules were just flights of fantasy and never materialized. But, what if the original modules had become available as fully functioning equipment? Would such LCSes be useful in the Middle East today?