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Two United States Navy combat ships made a port stop in Penang this month, drawing a mix of curiosity and criticism on social media as they resupplied before continuing toward the Middle East.
The USS Tulsa (LCS-16) and USS Santa Barbara (LCS-32), both Independence-class littoral combat ships (LCS), docked at the North Butterworth Container Terminal in Butterworth on the mainland side of Penang.
The ships are designed for operations close to shore and are built for speed and flexibility.
Their missions include mine countermeasures, surface warfare and maritime security patrols.
The stop was brief.
Both vessels were understood to be taking on fuel, water and provisions before continuing their voyage in support of US sea warfare operations in the region.
Not Unusual, But Not Unnoticed
Foreign naval vessels docking in Malaysia is not new.
Ships from the United States, China, Russia and other countries have made routine port calls here over the years — a reflection of Malaysia’s long-standing neutral, non-aligned foreign policy stance.
Malaysia maintains open port access for most foreign navies.
The one standing exception is Israel, with which Malaysia has no diplomatic relations.
The two ships are among only three Independence-class LCS vessels configured for mine countermeasures that have been stationed in Bahrain, according to The War Zone (TWZ), a US defence publication that first reported the ships’ appearance in Penang.
Their presence in Malaysia means that a significant portion of the US Navy’s minesweeping capacity in the region is currently thousands of miles from the conflict zone — a fact Washington has not publicly explained.
The whereabouts of the third vessel, USS Canberra, also previously deployed to Bahrain, remain unknown.
The Port Was Quiet, The Comments Were Not
Photographs of the two warships taken from the waterfront circulated widely on social media, prompting a range of reactions.
Some questioned why Malaysia would allow the ships to dock, given US military involvement in the Middle East.
Others were more pragmatic, joking that the vessels should at least be charged unsubsidised fuel rates.
One commenter noted that Penang Port had recently seen vessels from China and Russia, and now from the United States — and framed it as proof that neutrality was working.
Others were less charitable.
“Publicly criticise the US over Iran, then quietly let their warships dock and resupply,” one Facebook user wrote, capturing a sentiment that several others echoed.
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