|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Iran says it captured a U.S. autonomous underwater drone near the Strait of Hormuz after the vessel malfunctioned during regional operations.
ranian Revolutionary Guard forces said Sept. 8 they had captured a U.S. autonomous underwater vehicle near the Strait of Hormuz, identifying it as a Dive-LD made by California-based defense company Anduril Industries. The approximately 20-foot (6-meter) unmanned vessel is designed for missions including seabed mapping, surveillance, mine detection and inspection of underwater infrastructure. Iranian officials presented the seizure as a military and intelligence operation, while U.S. officials said the vehicle had malfunctioned more than a day earlier while surveying regional water
The Pentagon said the captured vehicle was an older model that did not contain classified sonar, radar equipment or sensitive data. Anduril confirmed that one of its vessels had been lost and described the Dive-LD as an autonomous system designed to operate in hazardous environments where losing a vehicle is considered possible. The platform can reportedly remain underwater for as long as 10 days and reach depths of about 6,000 meters (19,700 feet), giving it capabilities suited to extended undersea operations without a crew.
The incident highlights the growing role of autonomous naval systems as the United States expands the use of unmanned platforms for maritime surveillance and other missions. It also raises questions about what Iran could learn from a captured vehicle, although U.S. officials have sought to limit the significance of the loss by emphasizing the drone’s age, malfunction and lack of classified equipment. Reuters reported that Iran has previously sought to reverse-engineer captured U.S. unmanned technology, including an RQ-170 reconnaissance aircraft seized in 2011.
Sources: Reuters, Al Jazeera, Anduril Industries and U.S. military statements, with background reporting on the Dive-LD and autonomous naval systems.