USS Canberra Arrives in Bahrain

27 May 2025

From U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Public Affairs

MANAMA, Bahrain – The littoral combat ship USS Canberra (LCS 30) arrived at Naval Support Activity Bahrain, May 22, the first of four of the class expected to be deployed in the region.

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Cmdr. Bill Golden, commanding officer of USS Canberra’s (LCS 30) Blue Crew, discusses the mine countermeasures unmanned surface vehicle in the ship’s mission bay to Bahrain Defence Force officials in Manama, Bahrain. Canberra, an Independence variant of LCS, is deployed to the region to maintain regional maritime security in the Middle East region.

250526-N-CK669-1009 MANAMA, Bahrain (May 26, 2025) Cmdr. Bill Golden, commanding officer of USS Canberra’s (LCS 30) Blue Crew, discusses the mine countermeasures unmanned surface vehicle in the ship’s mission bay to Bahrain Defence Force officials in Manama, Bahrain. Canberra, an Independence variant of LCS, is deployed to the region to maintain regional maritime security in the Middle East region.

The crew hosted a tour of their ship on May 26, welcoming senior Bahraini defense officials, the U.S. ambassador to Bahrain, the honorable Steven Bondy, and commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, Vice Adm. George Wikoff.

“Today is about showcasing the United States’ continued commitment to maritime regional security in a broader sense, but in a specific sense, the friendship that we enjoy and never take for granted with the Kingdom of Bahrain,” Wikoff said. “We look forward to leveraging all the capabilities that this ship brings as a next-generation platform, working side-by-side with our Bahraini partners enforcing maritime security in the region.”

The LCS is expected to replace the Avenger-class mine countermeasures ships which have operated forward in the region for decades.

“Canberra’s arrival in Bahrain signifies our commitment to delivering advanced capabilities to further regional maritime security and maintaining our robust partnership with the Royal Bahrain Naval Force,” said the commanding officer of Canberra’s Blue Crew, Cmdr. Bill Golden. He previously served on a mine countermeasures ship forward deployed to Bahrain, USS Gladiator (MCM 11). “To see the differences between that platform and what Canberra offers is incredible.”

Canberra is the first LCS to deploy with the mine countermeasures mission package. An integrated suite of unmanned maritime systems and sensors, it is designed to locate, identify, and destroy mines while increasing the ship’s standoff distance from the threat.

Canberra, on its maiden deployment, is the first Independence-variant of the littoral combat ship to be deployed to the region. The ship left San Diego in March.

The U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations encompasses nearly 2.5 million square miles of water area and includes the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea, parts of the Indian Ocean and three critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, Suez Canal and Bab al-Mandeb.

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