ARABIAN GULF (Aug. 30, 2022) Screenshot of a video showing support ship Shahid Baziar, left, from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy unlawfully towing a Saildrone Explorer unmanned surface vessel in international waters of the Arabian Gulf, Aug. 30. (U.S. Navy photo)
On August 30, the United States Navy announced that it had prevented a support ship from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) from capturing an unmanned surface vessel (USV) operated by its 5th Fleet in the Persian Gulf.
The incident took place around 11 p.m. local time, on August 29. The US 5th Fleet observed IRGCN support ship Shahid Baziar towing a Saildrone Explorer USV in an attempt to detain it.
In response, US Navy patrol coastal ship USS Thunderbolt quickly headed to confront the IRGCN ship. Moreover, the 5th Fleet launched an MH-60S Sea Hawk from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 26, based in Bahrain.
The response resulted in the IRGCN ship disconnecting the towing line to the USV and departing the area approximately four hours later.
The Saildrone Explorer USV the IRGCN attempted to capture is equipped with sensors, radars and cameras for navigation and data collection. The USV combines wind-powered propulsion technology and solar-powered meteorological to achieve a mission duration of up to 12 months.
“IRGCN’s actions were flagrant, unwarranted and inconsistent with the behavior of a professional maritime force,” said Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, U.S. 5th Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces. “U.S. naval forces remain vigilant and will continue to fly, sail and operate anywhere international law allows while promoting rules-based international order throughout the region.”
Iran, which captured a number of American unmanned aerial vehicles in the past, has not commented on the US Navy claims, so far.
The US 5th Fleet area of operations encompasses nearly 2.5 million square miles of water area and includes the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean. The region is comprised of 21 countries and includes three critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal and the Strait of Bab-al-Mandeb.
Last year, the US Navy established a task force to rapidly integrate unmanned systems and artificial intelligence with maritime operations in the 5th Fleet area of operations.
