US Military Deploys Explosive Drone Boats in Combat for First Time

For the first time, the US military used explosive-laden drone boats in combat, attacking an Iranian midget submarine and a naval port at Bandar Abbas Naval Base on July 12. Three 'one-way attack surface drones' made a low-speed, uncontested approach before detonating, according to US Central Command.

One target was an Iranian Ghadir-class midget submarine suspended from a gantry. The deployment comes nearly a decade after Iranian and Houthi forces first demonstrated similar kamikaze sea drones.