U.S. Media: U.S. Military Uses Unmanned Boats in Combat for the First Time

Reference News Network reported on July 14 According to the U.S. Defense News Weekly website on July 14, the U.S. Central Command confirmed on the social platform X on the 13th that the U.S. military deployed three "Pirate" surface unmanned boats to strike a submarine and ship maintenance facility at the Iranian naval base in Bandar Abbas. This marks the first time the U.S. military has used surface unmanned boats in actual combat.

The U.S. military stated that on the 12th, it struck dozens of Iranian military targets and for the first time used "Pirate" surface unmanned boats in actual combat, aiming to weaken Iran's ability to attack merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

The "Pirate" surface unmanned boat is manufactured by the American company Sarconic Technologies, with a length of 24 feet (approximately 7.3 meters), a range of over 1,000 nautical miles, a maximum payload of 1,000 pounds (approximately 454 kilograms), and a top speed of up to 35 knots.

According to the company, this unmanned boat can perform various tasks such as intelligence surveillance reconnaissance, surface patrol, and logistical support in both safe and high-confrontation environments. The onboard built-in artificial intelligence system, combined with an open architecture, allows for the rapid integration of various sensors and autonomous control software, making it a multifunctional equipment platform suitable for modern naval and defense missions.

Although this is the first appearance of the unmanned boat in actual combat, the U.S. Navy has been conducting various mission tests with it over the past two years.

Last month, a U.S. AH-64 Apache attack helicopter crashed while patrolling near the Strait of Hormuz, and two personnel on board were successfully rescued by the "Pirate" surface unmanned boat. This was the first time the unmanned boat publicly participated in an actual operation beyond testing. (Translated by Wang Dongdong)