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4w ago

U.S. Deploys Sea Drones to Strike Bandar Abbas Naval Base

CENTCOM says the attack degraded Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping and revealed a move to offensive use of unmanned surface vessels.

A screengrab from CENTCOM's video showing the three USVs on their way to the target. (Image credit: CENTCOM)
Three Corsair unmanned surface vessels were the first sea drones that the U.S. military has used in combat operations.
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Overview

  • CENTCOM confirmed that three Saronic Corsair unmanned surface vessels carried out a strike on Bandar Abbas on July 12 that targeted a submarine and ship maintenance facility.
  • The command released a short video showing the Corsair USVs approaching a pier and detonating on impact near a docked Ghadir‑class midget submarine.
  • U.S. officials framed the action as intended to degrade Iran’s capacity to attack commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz and to protect shipping lanes.
  • The strike was one element of a broader wave of U.S. attacks that CENTCOM says hit dozens of Iranian military sites, including air‑defense systems, coastal radar, missile and drone infrastructure, and small boats.
  • The Corsair is a 24‑foot, attritable USV with about a 1,000‑nautical‑mile range and a roughly 1,000‑pound payload that had been used earlier for noncombat tasks such as a June rescue, and analysts warn its combat use could raise regional tensions and change how navies use unmanned maritime systems.