ProtectedShips Mine-clearing role for US ships By ANI - January 14, 2023 0 331 Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Jackson (LCS-6) pierside in Guam. US Navy Photo The Navy could deploy the aluminum hull, Independence-class Littoral Combat Ship to the Middle East as part of a future mine-countermeasures force in U.S. Central Command, service officials said, according to the US Naval Institute News. Please Login to view this content. (Not a member? Join Today!)