US military deploys explosive drone boats in combat for first time
▼ Summary
– For the first time in its history, the US military used explosive-laden drone boats in combat, attacking an Iranian midget submarine and naval port on July 12.
– The US drone boats made a low-speed, uncontested approach to their targets, including a Ghadir-class midget submarine suspended from a gantry.
– The strikes used Saronic Corsair autonomous surface vessels, which are 24 feet long and can carry up to 1,000 pounds over 1,000 nautical miles at over 34 knots.
– The Corsair drone boats can operate autonomously for long-range navigation, patrol, and loitering, and were likely equipped with explosives for this mission.
– This was the second notable US military use of drone boats in the war, following a June 8 rescue of two US Army helicopter pilots off Oman.
For the first time in its history, the US military has deployed explosive-laden drone boats in combat, striking an Iranian midget submarine and a naval port in a groundbreaking operation. This unprecedented use of kamikaze sea drones by American forces comes nearly a decade after Iran and its Houthi allies first introduced such weapons to the battlefield.
The Pentagon released video footage showing three “one-way attack surface drones” detonating after approaching an Iranian Ghadir-class midget submarine and a ship maintenance facility at Iran’s Bandar Abbas Naval Base on the night of July 12. US Central Command confirmed via social media that this marked the “first time American forces have employed sea drones in combat operations,” underscoring a major shift in naval warfare tactics.
According to USNI News, the service arm of the nonprofit US Naval Institute, the drone boats executed a “low-speed, uncontested approach” to their targets before exploding. One of the primary targets was identified as an Iranian Ghadir-class midget submarine suspended from a gantry and out of the water at the time of the strike.
These Corsair autonomous surface vessels, developed by Saronic Technologies of Austin, Texas, formed the backbone of the attack. The company’s specifications list the drone boat at 24 feet long, with a payload capacity of up to 1,000 pounds and a range exceeding 1,000 nautical miles at top speeds of more than 34 knots.
A Saronic blog post notes that the Corsair can operate autonomously without direct human control, handling long-range navigation, patrol missions, and even power management to loiter at specific positions. While designed for versatile missions, these boats were likely outfitted with explosives specifically for this strike.
This operation represents the second notable US military use of drone boats during the ongoing conflict, which began when the United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, 2026. Earlier, on June 8, a Corsair sea drone had been used to rescue two US Army helicopter pilots off the coast of Oman after their AH-64 Apache was downed by a cheap Iranian Shahed drone.
(Source: Ars Technica)