In a groundbreaking move, the U.S. military deployed a drone boat filled with explosives in combat for the first time, targeting an Iranian midget submarine and military port. This significant action marks the U.S.’s entry into the realm of kamikaze maritime drones, nearly a decade after Iranian and Houthi forces showcased similar weaponry.
A video released by the U.S. military captured the moment three “unidirectional attack surface drones” detonated as they approached an Iranian midget submarine and a ship maintenance facility at Iran’s Bandar Abbas naval base on the night of July 12. U.S. Central Command, responsible for military operations in the Middle East, noted in their social media posts, “This is the first time the U.S. military has utilized maritime drones in combat.”
The drone boat executed a “low-speed, unopposed approach” to its target before detonating, according to a report from USNI News, the news outlet of the U.S. Naval Research Institute. Notably, one target was identified as an Iranian Ghadir-class mini-submarine, which remained suspended from its gantry and out of the water.
Kamikaze drone boat attack.
The technologies employed in this operation included the Saronic Corsair, an autonomous surface vessel developed by Saronic Technologies, based in Austin, Texas. This innovative drone boat spans 24 feet and has the capability to transport up to 1,000 pounds over distances exceeding 1,000 nautical miles while achieving speeds of over 34 knots.
Reports indicate that Corsair drone boats can function autonomously without human intervention, enabling long-distance navigation and patrols while managing power consumption and engine use for specific loitering operations, as detailed in this Saronic blog post. These vessels were likely modified with explosives for this specific mission.
This incident marks the second prominent use of drone boats by the U.S. military within this conflict, following the U.S.-Israel strike on Iran on February 28, 2026. The U.S. military has previously deployed Corsair maritime drones for missions such as rescuing two U.S. Army helicopter pilots who were downed when their AH-64 Apache helicopter was shot down by an Iranian-made Shahed drone near Oman on June 8.
Source: arstechnica.com