Iran Claims Strike on U.S. Saildrone Explorer During Surveillance Mission Near Strait of Hormuz

Iran’s IRGC Navy claims it struck a US-operated Saildrone Explorer that Tehran says was conducting a surveillance mission near the Strait of Hormuz. If confirmed, the incident would show the growing exposure of persistent US unmanned surveillance platforms operating around the Gulf’s main strategic chokepoint. The 7-meter Saildrone Explorer, identified by Iran as hull 5838, is a wind-propelled unmanned surface vessel able to remain at sea for more than 12 months while carrying radar, cameras, AIS equipment and satellite communications, and the US Navy has previously deployed the type with Task Force 59 in the Arabian Gulf. The claim comes days after Iran said it recovered a US Anduril Dive-LD autonomous underwater vehicle in the same area, while US officials acknowledged the loss of that vehicle following a malfunction. Read more.

Screenshot from a video released by Iranian sources, purportedly showing the reported strike on a U.S. Saildrone Explorer near the Strait of Hormuz. (Picture source: IRGC)

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