2 of the US' 3 mine-hunting ships assigned to the Middle East were just seen in Asia

The USS Santa Barbara and USS Tulsa were seen in Penang.

Sherwynd Kessler

• The USS Tulsa and USS Santa Barbara were recently photographed in Penang, far from their fleet.
• They're two of the Fifth Fleet's three vessels for anti-mine operations in the Gulf region.
• Their appearance in Asia comes amid concerns that Iran could mine the Strait of Hormuz.

Two of the US Navy's main ships for clearing mines in the Strait of Hormuz were recently spotted in Malaysia, about 3,500 miles from their base in Bahrain.