TEHRAN, Sep 09 (Alliance News): Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said Tuesday that it had captured a US unmanned submarine at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, highlighting the growing use of underwater drones in military operations amid heightened tensions in the region.
Iranian state media identified the vessel as a Dive-LD, a large autonomous underwater vehicle developed by California-based defence company Anduril.
The 19-foot (5.8-metre) underwater drone is designed for missions including mine countermeasures, seabed mapping, intelligence gathering and inspection of underwater infrastructure such as cables and pipelines.
“We trapped one of the most modern, intelligent and unmanned submarines of the terrorist American army at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz,” the Revolutionary Guards Navy said in a statement carried by Iranian state media.
The US military, however, said the underwater drone had malfunctioned more than a day earlier.
A Pentagon spokesperson said the drone had been surveying regional waters in support of ongoing operations but was an older model that did not collect sensitive data or carry classified sonar or radar equipment.
Anduril confirmed that one of its vessels had been lost but played down the significance of the incident.
“Dive-LD is an attritable autonomous system,” an Anduril spokesperson said, meaning it is designed to operate in dangerous environments where the loss of the vehicle is considered an expected possibility.
The incident comes as the US military increases its investment in unmanned naval systems, including underwater and surface vessels, seeking lower-cost ways to monitor large areas of ocean, gather intelligence and track adversary ships and submarines without putting sailors at risk.
According to Anduril, Dive-LD can operate for up to 10 days without returning to base and is designed to dive to depths of up to 6,000 metres (19,700 feet).
US military news outlet DefenseScoop reported in 2024 that each Dive-LD unit costs about $2.5 million.
The reported capture adds another dimension to the tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically important waterway through which a significant share of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments normally pass.
Iran has previously threatened measures affecting shipping through the strait amid its escalating confrontation with the United States.
The latest incident also underscores the increasing role of autonomous systems in naval operations, with both military powers seeking to use unmanned platforms for surveillance and other missions in high-risk maritime environments.
