Security and emergency response were both concerns during Steel Box. Besides the police and military escort for the trains, the road convoys had restricted airspace overhead. Along the route, emergency response teams were on stand-by. While the ships were in port U.S. Navy EOD Detachments provided underwater hull sweeps to ensure limpet mines were not attached to the ships. The 46-day trip at sea was non-stop, with refueling taking place along the route. The ships were also escorted by the U.S. Navy guided missile cruiser USS Bainbridge and USS Truxtun. The transport ships avoided the Panama Canal, for security reasons, and took the route around Cape Horn, the tip of South America. There were no reported chemical agent leaks or security breaches during the transport phase of Steel Box.