The Pentagon has stated that unmanned surface vessels have been deployed to participate in the US military operation “Operation Epic Fury” targeting Iranian military actions. This marks the first time the United States has confirmed the use of unmanned surface vessels in an actual military conflict. Ukraine previously used similar vessels to significantly damage the Russian Black Sea Fleet during the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
In response to questions from Reuters, Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for the Central Command of the Pentagon, stated that unmanned vessels constructed by BlackSea based in Maryland, known as the Global Autonomous Reconnaissance Craft (GARC), have been utilized for patrol missions in the US operation against Iran.
Hawkins mentioned in a statement, “The US military continues to employ unmanned systems in the Middle East, including surface unmanned vessels like the GARC. The GARC platform has successfully accumulated over 450 hours of navigation and covered a distance of over 2200 nautical miles in supporting the maritime patrols of ‘Operation Epic Fury.'”
Hawkins declined to disclose the names of other unmanned systems currently being deployed. BlackSea also refused to provide a response to Reuters’ request for comments on the matter.
The GARC is used for underwater reconnaissance, surveillance, and intelligence collection, possessing high speed and long-range capabilities, aiming to establish a swarm of unmanned vessels to achieve maritime modernization.
Brad Cooper, a Navy Admiral and the commander of the US Central Command responsible for the Operation Epic Fury military operation, stated in early March that the US is deploying “a range of new capabilities” in the war against Iran.
Iran has been producing drones and unmanned surface vessels, and in this conflict, Iran has confirmed using unmanned vessels to attack oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz.
During the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Ukraine has consistently utilized unmanned vessels and long-range strike capabilities to target the Russian Black Sea Fleet, resulting in the destruction or damage of over 25% of the vessels implicated.