CENTCOM announced it used three Corsair unmanned surface vessels to strike a submarine maintenance facility at Iran's Bandar Abbas naval base, marking the first operational use of sea drones by U.S. forces. The footage released by CENTCOM appears to show the destruction of an Iranian Ghadir-class submarine moored at the facility.
At 15:01 Jerusalem, CENTCOM confirmed that its strike on the Bandar Abbas naval base used three Corsair unmanned surface vessels and released footage appearing to show a destroyed Iranian Ghadir-class submarine. The announcement caps a rapid sequence of disclosures that began at the same hour Monday.
All reports in this thread were published at 15:01 Jerusalem. The first came from Amit Segal (N12), who reported that the U.S. had used suicide boats for the first time. CENTCOM then released footage of the attack, followed by an official statement confirming the first combat use of unmanned surface vessels. The command later specified that three Corsair USVs were employed and that the strike targeted a submarine and ship maintenance facility. Footage released by CENTCOM showed the apparent sinking of a Ghadir-class submarine moored at the facility.
The strike is part of a broader CENTCOM campaign against Iranian naval infrastructure. As The Zioneer reported on June 10, the U.S. launched retaliatory strikes across southern Iran following the downing of a helicopter. On July 12, CENTCOM completed a third round of strikes hitting over 140 targets. The use of sea drones represents a new tactical capability, as noted in The Zioneer's coverage of the campaign's evolution.
The extent of damage to the submarine and the facility has not been independently verified. CENTCOM has not commented on the condition of the submarine beyond the released footage, and no third-party assessment of the site has been reported.
16 developments
- DevelopingCENTCOM video reportedly pinpoints strike location on Iranian Ghadir-class submarine at Bandar Abbas
- ConfirmedCENTCOM intercepts Iranian suicide drones targeting commercial ships in Strait of Hormuz
- StrongCENTCOM announces new wave of strikes across Iran after drone hits oil tanker
- DevelopingUS CENTCOM Downs Two Iranian Drones in Strait of Hormuz
Source and signal
- Internal intake