A Saronic Corsair like the ones used July 12, 2026, against a target in Iran. The strike was the U.S. military’s first instance of combat use of a surface drone. (Saronic)
Three American sea drones were used in a weekend strike on an Iranian naval port, marking the first U.S. use in battle of vessels that have revolutionized maritime warfare from the Black Sea to the Middle East.
Three Corsair drones targeted the port at Bandar Abbas Naval Base on Sunday, striking a submarine and ship maintenance facility situated in the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Central Command said in a statement.
The attacks were part of a larger operation involving dozens of targets across Iran in retaliation for its strike against commercial tankers in the critical waterway.
The Corsair is a 24-foot autonomous surface drone that can carry 1,000 pounds of payload up to 1,000 nautical miles at a speed of about 40 mph, according to manufacturer Saronic Technology.
The vessel was also used to help rescue two downed Apache helicopter crew members last month after their aircraft went down near the Strait of Hormuz.
Since the Iran war started Feb. 28, the fighting has marked several firsts for U.S. drone usage.
Early in the war, American forces unleashed a wave of one-way attack drones against Iran meant to mimic Tehran’s prized Shahed drones.
The comparatively inexpensive aircraft have become a hallmark of modern combat, appearing on battlefields across Europe and the Middle East.
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