Iran says it captured US submarine drone in Strait of Hormuz

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Tuesday it had captured a U.S. uncrewed submarine at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz , offering a rare glimpse into how underwater drones are being used in military operations.

Iranian state media said the vessel was a Dive-LD , a large autonomous underwater vehicle built by California defense firm Anduril . The 19-foot (5.8-metre) submersible can carry out missions including mine countermeasures, seabed mapping, intelligence gathering and the inspection of underwater infrastructure such as cables and pipelines, the company has said.

“We trapped one of the most modern, intelligent and unmanned submarines of the terrorist American army at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz. This submersible is equipped with the latest technologies,” the Revolutionary Guards Navy said in a statement carried by Iranian state media.

In response, a Pentagon spokesperson said an underwater drone had “malfunctioned more than a day ago.”

“It was surveying regional waters in support of ongoing operations. The defective drone was an older model that neither collected sensitive data nor carried any classified sonar or radar equipment,” the spokesperson said.

Reuters could not independently verify Iran’s claims and the Pentagon did not address them in its statement.

Anduril did not respond to a request for comment.

The U.S. military is investing heavily in unmanned naval systems, including underwater and surface vessels, as it seeks cheaper ways to monitor vast areas of ocean, gather intelligence and track adversary ships and submarines without putting sailors at risk.

According to Anduril’s website, Dive-LD can operate for up to 10 days without returning to base and is designed to dive to depths of as much as 6,000 metres (19,700 feet). Dive-LD units cost about $2.5 million each, U.S. military news site DefenseScoop reported in 2024.

伊朗革命卫队周二表示，他们在霍尔木兹海峡入口处捕获了一艘美国无人潜艇，这让人们得以罕见地一窥水下无人机在军事行动中的使用情况。

伊朗国家媒体称，这艘船是Dive-LD，一种由加州国防公司Anduril制造的大型自主水下航行器。该公司表示，这艘19英尺（5.8米）长的潜水器可以执行包括扫雷、海底测绘、情报收集以及检查水下基础设施（如电缆和管道）在内的任务。

伊朗革命卫队海军在一份由伊朗国家媒体发布的声明中表示：“我们在霍尔木兹海峡入口处捕获了美国恐怖分子军队最先进、最智能的无人潜艇之一。这艘潜艇配备了最新技术。”

对此，五角大楼发言人表示，一架水下无人机“一天多前就发生故障了”。

发言人表示：“这架无人机当时正在对区域水域进行勘测，以支援正在进行的行动。这架故障无人机是较老的型号，既不收集敏感数据，也不携带任何机密声呐或雷达设备。”

路透社无法独立核实伊朗的说法，而五角大楼在其声明中也没有对此作出回应。

Anduril公司未回应置评请求。

美国军方正在大力投资无人海军系统，包括水下和水面舰艇，以寻求更经济的方式来监控广阔的海洋区域、收集情报并跟踪敌方舰艇和潜艇，同时又不让水兵面临风险。

据安杜里尔公司网站介绍，Dive-LD潜水器无需返回基地即可连续作业长达10天，设计潜水深度可达6000米（19700英尺）。美国军事新闻网站DefenseScoop在2024年报道称，Dive-LD潜水器的单价约为250万美元。