US Military Deploys Explosive Drone Boats in Combat for First Time, Striking Iranian Naval Base

The United States military has for the first time in its history deployed explosive-laden drone boats in combat, launching an attack against an Iranian midget submarine and a naval port facility. The operation marks a significant milestone in the evolution of unmanned naval warfare and comes nearly a decade after Iranian and Houthi forces first demonstrated similar kamikaze-style sea drone technology.

Unprecedented Strike on Iranian Naval Infrastructure

The attack took place on the night of July 12, when three surface drones described by the military as "one-way attack surface drones" approached and detonated near an Iranian midget submarine and a ship maintenance facility located at Iran's Bandar Abbas Naval Base. US Central Command, the combat command overseeing American military operations across the Middle East, confirmed the operation in a social media post, stating it was the "first time American forces have employed sea drones in combat operations."

According to USNI News, a reporting service run by the nonprofit US Naval Institute, the drone boats executed a low-speed, uncontested approach before detonating against their designated targets. One of the primary targets was identified as an Iranian Ghadir-class midget submarine. The vessel was out of the water at the time, suspended from a gantry at the maintenance facility.

The US military released video footage showing the three drones exploding upon reaching their targets. The imagery confirmed the effectiveness of the low-speed approach, which allowed the unmanned vessels to close in without triggering a defensive response from the base.

Saronic Corsair: The Technology Behind the Mission

The drone boats used in the strike were Saronic Corsair autonomous surface vessels, manufactured by Saronic Technologies, a defense contractor headquartered in Austin, Texas. According to the company's website, the Corsair measures 24 feet in length and is capable of transporting payloads of up to 1,000 pounds across distances exceeding 1,000 nautical miles. The vessel can reach top speeds greater than 34 knots.

A blog post published by Saronic outlines the Corsair's capacity to function autonomously, without requiring direct human oversight. The drone boat is designed to handle long-range navigation and extended patrol missions on its own. Its onboard systems can regulate power consumption and engine usage, enabling the vessel to loiter in a designated area for extended periods. While the Corsair is built to support a broad range of operational missions, the vessels deployed on July 12 were reportedly fitted with explosives tailored for this specific one-way attack.

Second Notable Drone Boat Deployment in Ongoing Conflict

This strike represents the second significant use of drone boats by the US military during the current conflict, which began on February 28, 2026, when the United States and Israel launched a joint military offensive against Iran. The earlier deployment occurred on June 8, when a Saronic Corsair sea drone was used to rescue two US Army helicopter pilots who had been forced down in the waters off the coast of Oman. Their AH-64 Apache helicopter had been struck and disabled by an inexpensive Iranian Shahed drone.

The transition from a rescue-support role to an offensive strike role underscores the rapidly expanding versatility of unmanned surface vessels in modern warfare. The United States' adoption of kamikaze-style sea drones also closes a capability gap that Iranian and Houthi forces have exploited for years, bringing American forces into an emerging domain of naval combat that blends autonomy, endurance, and precision strike capability.

As unmanned naval technology continues to evolve and demonstrate its value in live operations, the use of autonomous surface vessels is likely to become an increasingly prominent feature of military strategy. What are your thoughts on the growing role of drone boats in armed conflict? Share this article and join the conversation.

Source: Ars Technica