U.S. Employs Armed Surface Drones In Combat For The First Time During Strikes On Iranian Naval Base

The attack on Bandar Abbas marked the first confirmed combat use of U.S. unmanned surface vessels (USVs), with three Saronic Corsair drone boats striking a submarine and ship maintenance facility. The U.S. military has confirmed that it employed armed Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs) in combat for the first time on July 12, 2026. According to the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), three Saronic Corsair USVs were used to strike Bandar Abbas Naval Base, Iran’s main base overlooking the Strait of Hormuz, targeting a submarine and ship maintenance facility. “Yesterday, using multiple one-way attack surface drones, CENTCOM forces successfully struck a submarine and ship maintenance facility in Iran. Three Corsair unmanned surface vessels hit the port at Bandar Abbas Naval Base, marking the first time American forces have employed sea drones in combat operations,” CENTCOM said in a statement posted on social media. Yesterday, using multiple one-way attack surface drones, CENTCOM forces successfully struck a submarine and ship maintenance facility in Iran. Three Corsair unmanned surface vessels hit the port at Bandar Abbas Naval Base, marking the first time American forces have employed sea… pic.twitter.com/bOM2kmgRxz — U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 13, 2026 According to the command, the strike was intended to degrade Iran’s ability to continue attacks against commercial shipping transiting the strategically important waterway. The attack also comes as the U.S. announces that it will resume the naval blockade against Iran. Video of the attack A 25-second video released by CENTCOM shows the three unmanned vessels independently approaching the Iranian naval installation before exploding on impact. The footage includes both overhead imagery from an Unmanned Aerial Vessel (UAV) as well as onboard video from one of the Corsair USVs during its final approach toward the pier. The latter provided a view of what has been identified as a Ghadir-class midget submarine positioned on a maintenance gantry. The submarine, of which up to 23 were built, has a reported displacement of 115 tons and is designed for use in shallow littoral waters. The video ends immediately after the explosions, providing no indication of the extent of the resulting damage. The images however were enough to allow a geolocalization, showing that the Corsairs were able to enter deep into the base before detonating. Geolocation of a CENTCOM strike on an Iranian Navy maintenance facility, marking the first combat use of one-way attack unmanned surface vessels (USVs) by American forces. C: 27.140700, 56.211584 S: https://t.co/zyoiXYG7PZ https://t.co/UzCXrUTpt1 pic.twitter.com/OGRrH9uzr7 — Aryan (@GEOIMINT) July 13, 2026 First strike by U.S. sea drones The U.S. Navy has employed Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs) for several years, however this is the first confirmed instance of their use to strike an adversary. Specifically, the USVs have been described as one-way attack surface drones, in line with the definition of one-way attack drones attributed to the so-called ‘kamikaze’ drones such as the U.S.-made LUCAS or the Iranian Shahed. The Corsair, developed by Texas-based Saronic, is a 24-foot autonomous surface vessel capable of carrying payloads of up to 1,000 pounds, either sensors or explosive. The USV can sail over distances exceeding 1,000 nautical miles, while reaching speeds of approximately 35 knots. The U.S. military confirmed multiple military variant Saronic Corsairs, our 24ft ASV, were used in strikes to degrade Iran’s ability to continue attacking commercial shipping — marking the first time American forces have employed sea drones in combat operations. We are proud… https://t.co/T7Kg1cGuRz — Saronic (@Saronic) July 13, 2026 The platform features an open architecture designed to integrate different payloads, which allow missions ranging from Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) to logistics and kinetic operations. From experimentation to combat The Corsair had already gained operational visibility during the current Middle East conflict. In fact, last month, a Corsair operated by Task Force 59 (TF59) was used to rescue two U.S. Army personnel after their AH-64 Apache crashed off the coast of Oman. The U.S. could have used a missile. Instead, it used a Saronic Corsair unmanned surface vessel in its first operational strike. The attack tested the drone in combat, exposed weak IRGC defenses and could indicate the U.S. is applying lessons learned from Ukraine’s battlefield… pic.twitter.com/YWgcJhNVP6 — Open Source Intel (@Osint613) July 13, 2026 According to CENTCOM, the unmanned vessel located and recovered the aircrew, marking one of the first publicly acknowledged operational uses of an autonomous surface craft in a search and rescue (SAR) mission. TF 59 is headquartered in Bahrain, within the U.S. Fifth Fleet area of responsibility, since 2021 to operate and evaluate the evolving use of USVs and artificial intelligence (AI) in the naval domain. Most of TF59’s USVs are used for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) tasks, with some specialist roles including mine detection and communications relays. The task force began fielding Corsair USVs earlier this year as part of its broader effort to operationalize unmanned maritime capabilities. Interestingly, a U.S. defense official told USNI News that the Bandar Abbas operation was conducted directly by CENTCOM rather than by Task Force 59 or the U.S. Navy. It is unclear if this might indicate the capability has now transitioned into operational employment under joint command structures. Lessons from recent conflicts The operational concept behind the Corsairs’ strike against Bandar Abbas mirrors developments observed in recent conflicts, particularly Ukraine’s extensive use of explosive unmanned surface vessels against Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. In fact, as we often reported, Ukrainian forces have repeatedly demonstrated how relatively inexpensive autonomous boats can threaten much larger naval assets and coastal infrastructure. Following President Donald J. Trump’s announcement this morning that the U.S. naval blockade of Iran will resume, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has confirmed blockade operations will resume at 4:00 p.m. ET on July 14. During the previous 66-day blockade (April 13–June 18), U.S.… pic.twitter.com/ZfCZppnhlI — OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) July 13, 2026 This forced Russia to relocate significant portions of its fleet away from occupied Crimea while investing heavily in counter-USV defenses. The USVs were also used in other roles, including as anti-aircraft assets with the use of adapted infrared-guided air-to-air missiles. Iran and its regional proxies have also experimented with explosive surface craft for years. The Houthis notably employed explosive-laden USVs in attacks against naval vessels in the Red Sea.