They can be used to find mines, submarines and do surveillance/reconnaissance missions.
The United States has for the first time deployed autonomous, uncrewed drone speedboats in active combat operations against Iran, introducing a low-cost, asymmetric naval capability that officials say has already logged hundreds of hours patrolling key waterways under Operation Epic Fury.
“U.S. forces continue to employ unmanned systems in the Middle East region, including surface drone assets like the GARC,” Hawkins told the outlet, adding that the platform has “successfully logged over 450 underway hours and more than 2,200 nautical miles during maritime patrols in support of Operation Epic Fury.”
The deployment marks the first acknowledged use of uncrewed surface vessels by the United States in an active conflict, underscoring a broader shift toward autonomous systems designed to operate at a fraction of the cost of traditional naval platforms while expanding surveillance and strike capabilities.
The vessels, built by Maryland-based BlackSea Technologies, are designed for intelligence, surveillance, and , but can also support mine countermeasures, communications relay, anti-submarine warfare, and the deployment of aerial and underwater drones.
Each craft can reach speeds exceeding 40 knots and carry payloads of up to 1,000 pounds, according to manufacturer specifications, offering a flexible platform capable of supporting a wide range of maritime operations at an estimated cost of roughly $250,000 per vessel — a fraction of the roughly $2 billion price tag of a U.S. Navy destroyer.
Officials have not indicated that the drone boats have been used in offensive strike roles, though their design allows for adaptation into expendable, one-way attack systems increasingly seen in modern conflicts.
The Navy has maintained a growing unmanned presence in the region for years, including through its Bahrain-based Task Force 59 under the U.S. Fifth Fleet, which focuses on integrating autonomous platforms and artificial intelligence into maritime operations.
The use of such systems comes as the United States and its allies confront Iran’s escalating campaign against commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz, where Tehran has effectively choked off normal traffic through missile attacks, drone strikes, and explicit threats against ships tied to countries it considers aligned with the United States and Israel.
While U.S. naval forces have long operated unmanned systems in the region, the GARC deployment marks the first acknowledged use of this class of uncrewed surface vessel in an active conflict.
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