Three Saronic Corsair unmanned surface vessels (USV) attacked a laid up Iranian midget submarine in a first of its kind operation by American forces using maritime one-way attack drones.
According to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), the trio of USVs attacked the Bandar Abbas Naval Base over the weekend.
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. Last night’s strikes degraded Iran’s ability to continue attacking commercial shipping,” reads a CENTCOM release on the operation.
A release from the command revealed the debut of the maritime strike attack drones on Sunday, but footage was withheld until a social media post from CENTCOM today. The compilation of the attack shows the drones approaching a docked Ghadir-class midget submarine within the naval installation. Footage from an overhead aerial intelligence platform depict the Corsair USVs approaching the dock at different angles prior to detonating their explosive payloads.
For Saronic, an American drone firm specializing in USVs, the conflict garnered significant publicity for the company after a Corsair USV rescued two Apache attack helicopter pilots last month. The Corsair can operate out to 1,000 nautical miles and carry payloads of 1,000-pounds. A social media post from Saronic revealed that the firm has produced at least 300 Corsair USVs as of May 2026. The company won in December 2025 a Corsair production contract for the US Navy.
Saronic issue the following statemen about the recent strike: “We are proud that our technology supported this mission and helped to keep the brave men and women of the U.S. armed forces safe. Saronic remains committed to delivering autonomous maritime systems that strengthen the security of America and its allies.”
The drone start-up formed following the asymmetric effects of unmanned maritime deployments in the Russian-Ukrainian War. Ukraine has torn apart Russia’s larger and more capable fleet with USVs sneaking into Black Sea naval bases in strikes akin to Sunday’s Bandar Abbas attack.
The first-ever use of American one-way attack drones occurred during a wave of offensive strikes following renewed tensions between Iran and the U.S. over the status of commercial shipping transiting Strait of Hormuz. CENTCOM claims that Sunday’s strikes, which saw dozens of attacks against Tehran’s air defense and coastal defense systems, aimed to degrade Iran’s capability to attack international shipping.
Since the outbreak of the U.S.-Iran War, Washington has deployed several new long-range strike systems in its efforts against Iranian forces. These include the Precision Strike Missile, a new munition capable of striking targets 500 kilometers away, and Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System aerial attack drones. Early on in the war, U.S. forces focused their strikes against Iran’s warships, drones, missile launchers and minelaying forces poised against the Strait of Hormuz.
