US Military Deploys Explosive Drone Boats in Combat for the First Time

The US military used explosive-laden drone boats in combat for the first time on July 12, attacking an Iranian midget submarine and a naval port at Bandar Abbas. The three one-way attack surface drones made a low-speed, uncontested approach before detonating, with one target identified as a Ghadir-class midget submarine suspended from a gantry. The strike comes nearly a decade after Iranian and Houthi forces first demonstrated similar kamikaze sea drone weapons.