Congresswoman Luria Presses CENTCOM Leadership On Using Existing Technology To Counter Iranian Mining Threat

WASHINGTON, D.C.— House Committee on Armed Services (HASC) Vice Chair Elaine Luria questioned military leaders on the Navy’s mine warfare capabilities to counter Iranian mine threats in CENTCOM’s area of responsibility and the growing Chinese presence in Africa. 

Rather than continuing to pursue the unsuccessful deployment of mine warfare technology on the LCS platform, Vice Chair Luria asked whether the military can leverage the existing T-ESB employed in CENTCOM to host the mine warfare suite. This capability was successfully demonstrated in the Chesapeake Bay on board T-ESB 4, USNS Herschel “Woody” Williams in September 2019 and would provide an immediate mine warfare platform to counter the Iranian mine laying capability in the critical choke points of the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandab.

Watch the full line of questioning here. 

Throughout her time in office, Congresswoman Elaine Luria has supported measures to address the national security threats that Iran and China pose. In March, she introduced a bipartisan resolution condemning Iran’s pursuit of a nuclear weapon. Last year, she also advocated for the inclusion of $2.2 billion in the National Defense Authorization Act to combat the rising threat of China through a Pacific Deterrence Initiative (PDI).

About the Author

Wayne Creed

Administrator

View All Posts