Which type of ships provides general support to combatant forces in the open ocean?

The Support Type ships are designed to provide general support operations to combatant forces in the open ocean. These vessels serve a critical logistical role, ensuring that operational forces have the necessary supplies, repairs, and maintenance capabilities as they conduct their missions. This includes transporting personnel, fuel, ammunition, and other materials essential for sustaining naval operations in a combat environment.

Support Type ships are optimized for their roles, often featuring various facilities and equipment to enable them to assist the fleet effectively in diverse scenarios. They are not primarily engaged in direct combat but instead enable combat operations to take place by ensuring resources are available to the front lines.

In contrast, other types of vessels mentioned in the options typically have more specialized roles—Combat Logistics Type ships primarily focus on providing logistics support, Mine Warfare ships deal specifically with mine countermeasures, and Patrol Combatant ships are developed for direct engagement with adversaries rather than supply and support roles in the operational theater. This specialization is why no other types match the general support capability as defined in the question.