US Unleashes Kamikaze Sea Drones in Iran Showdown

The Pentagon has officially confirmed that uncrewed maritime systems are now part of its operational toolkit in the Middle East, in a development that had not been publicly disclosed before.

Pentagon spokesperson Tim Hawkins stated that unmanned vessels developed by BlackSea Technologies, known as Global Autonomous Reconnaissance Craft (GARC), have been actively used in patrol missions.

According to Hawkins, the vessels have:

• Logged more than 450 hours at sea
• Covered over 2,200 nautical miles
• Supported maritime surveillance and regional awareness

He declined to confirm whether the systems had been used in offensive strikes.

Uncrewed surface vessels have gained prominence in modern warfare, particularly after Ukraine used explosive-laden drone boats to damage Russian Black Sea Fleet.

Meanwhile, Iran has also deployed sea drones in recent attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf, underscoring the growing role of autonomous systems in maritime conflict.

Despite their deployment, the U.S. Navy’s unmanned vessel program has encountered persistent challenges. Previous reporting by Reuters highlighted multiple issues with the GARC platform, including:

• A high-speed collision during testing
• Performance and safety concerns
• A recent failure that rendered a vessel inoperable in the Middle East

The Pentagon declined to comment on these incidents.
The U.S. has been investing in autonomous naval systems as a cost-effective alternative to traditional ships and submarines, particularly to counter the growing maritime capabilities of China.