US deploys uncrewed drone boats in conflict with Iran

NEW YORK — The United States has deployed uncrewed drone speedboats for patrols as part of its operations against Iran, the Pentagon said, the first time Washington has confirmed using such vessels in an active conflict.

The deployment of the vessels — which can be used for surveillance or kamikaze strikes — has not been previously reported. It comes despite a series of setbacks in the U.S. Navy’s years‑long effort to field a fleet of uncrewed surface vessels , Reuters reported last year.

Uncrewed vessels have risen to prominence in recent years after Ukraine used explosive‑laden speedboats to inflict significant damage on Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.

Iran has used sea drones to attack oil tankers in the Gulf at least twice since the U.S. and Israel began strikes nearly a month ago. There was no indication the U.S. had used uncrewed vessels for offensive strikes.

In response to Reuters’ questions, Tim Hawkins, a Pentagon spokesperson for Central Command, said unmanned vessels built by Maryland-based BlackSea, known as the Global Autonomous Reconnaissance Craft, or GARC, had been used for patrols as part of the U.S. campaign against Iran, dubbed “Operation Epic Fury.”

“U.S. forces continue to employ unmanned systems in the Middle East region, including surface drone assets like the GARC. This platform, in particular, has successfully logged over 450 underway hours and more than 2,200 nautical miles during maritime patrols in support of Operation Epic Fury,” Hawkins said in a statement.

Hawkins declined to name any of the other unmanned systems being deployed. BlackSea declined to comment for this story.

Navy struggles with drone boats

The U.S. has for years been trying to build a fleet of autonomous uncrewed surface and underwater vessels, as a cheaper and faster alternative to manned ships and submarines, particularly to counter China’s growing naval power in the Pacific. The effort, however, has fallen behind schedule and been dogged by technical problems, cost concerns and a series of testing setbacks.

Last year, Reuters reported the GARC, an angular speedboat about five meters long, was involved in multiple performance and safety issues, including one where it collided with another boat at speed during a military test.

In recent weeks, during another failed test in the Middle East, one GARC boat became inoperable, according to a source who was briefed on the matter.

Hawkins declined to comment on the testing setbacks.

“The GARC is an emerging capability and part of a fleet of surface drones operated by U.S. 5th Fleet to enhance awareness of what’s happening in regional waters,” he said.

纽约——五角大楼表示，美国已部署无人驾驶快艇进行巡逻，作为其对伊朗行动的一部分。这是华盛顿首次证实正在积极冲突中使用此类船只。

这些可用于侦察或自杀式袭击的舰艇的部署此前未见报道。路透社去年报道称，尽管美国海军多年来组建无人水面舰艇舰队的努力屡遭挫折，但此次部署仍在进行。

近年来，乌克兰使用装满炸药的快艇对俄罗斯黑海舰队造成重大破坏后，无人驾驶船只的重要性日益凸显。

自美国和以色列近一个月前开始对海湾地区进行空袭以来，伊朗至少两次使用海上无人机袭击了海湾地区的油轮。没有迹象表明美国曾使用无人船只进行进攻性打击。

针对路透社的提问，五角大楼中央司令部发言人蒂姆·霍金斯表示，由总部位于马里兰州的黑海公司建造的无人船，即全球自主侦察艇（GARC），已被用于美国针对伊朗的“史诗狂怒行动”的巡逻任务。

霍金斯在一份声明中表示：“美军继续在中东地区使用无人系统，包括像GARC这样的水面无人机。特别是该平台，在支持‘史诗狂怒行动’的海上巡逻中，已成功累计航行超过450小时，航程超过2200海里。”

霍金斯拒绝透露其他正在部署的无人系统的名称。黑海公司拒绝就此事置评。

海军在无人艇方面举步维艰

多年来，美国一直试图建造一支无人自主水面和水下舰艇舰队，作为有人舰艇和潜艇的更经济、更快捷的替代方案，尤其旨在对抗中国在太平洋地区日益增长的海军力量。然而，这项计划进展缓慢，饱受技术难题、成本担忧和一系列测试挫折的困扰。

去年，路透社报道称，GARC 是一种长约 5 米的棱角分明的快艇，曾出现多起性能和安全问题，其中包括在一次军事测试中高速与另一艘船相撞。

据一位了解此事的消息人士透露，最近几周，在中东的另一次失败测试中，一艘 GARC 潜艇无法运行。

霍金斯拒绝就测试挫折发表评论。

他说：“GARC 是一项新兴能力，也是美国第五舰队运营的水面无人机舰队的一部分，旨在增强对区域水域情况的了解。”