The U.S. military’s latest strike on Iran marked a historic first with the operational combat debut of an unmanned surface vessel, as three autonomous “Corsair” boats were used in the attack on Iran’s naval base in Bandar Abbas.

According to U.S. Central Command, the unmanned vessels targeted a submarine and ship maintenance facility at the Iranian naval base, striking port infrastructure used to support Iran’s maritime operations. U.S. officials said the attack further degraded Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

The Corsair vessels are manufactured in Texas by defense company Saronic, which was founded in 2022 by a former U.S. Navy SEAL. Measuring approximately 23 feet (7 meters) in length, the autonomous boats can travel more than 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) without a crew, reach speeds of roughly 40 mph (65 km/h), and carry payloads of up to 1,000 pounds (450 kilograms).

According to The Washington Post, each vessel costs less than $1 million to produce. A U.S. official said the boats were deployed to the Middle East at the end of March.

The report also noted that a Saronic unmanned vessel was used in June to rescue two crew members from a downed U.S. Army Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz.

The successful operational use of the Corsair highlights the Pentagon’s growing emphasis on unmanned naval systems as part of its future force structure. U.S. defense officials have signaled plans to rapidly expand the fleet of autonomous surface vessels as the military prepares for potential conflicts with near-peer adversaries such as China, while incorporating lessons learned from the war in Ukraine.

Ukraine has become one of the world’s leading users of unmanned surface vessels during its war with Russia, employing them to strike Russian naval assets and other maritime targets. Ukrainian officials have also claimed the systems have been adapted with air defense capabilities and have been used to engage Russian aircraft and helicopters.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)