US military responds to Iranian capture of unmanned submersible: it is a "malfunctioning device"

On September 8, Xinhua News Agency reported from Washington (reporters Huang Qiang and Xu Jianmei) that Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for the U.S. Central Command, stated on the 8th that the U.S. military unmanned underwater vehicle captured by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz had experienced a "malfunction" more than a day ago and did not carry any sensitive data or classified equipment.

According to reports from the U.S. Consumer News and Business Channel, Hawkins said in a statement that the underwater vehicle was conducting reconnaissance in the area at the time of the incident to support U.S. military operations. He also mentioned that the vehicle "is an older model, which neither collected sensitive data nor carried any classified sonar or radar equipment."

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran stated on the 8th that it had captured a U.S. military smart unmanned underwater vehicle at the entrance of the Strait of Hormuz early that morning. This underwater vehicle employs relatively advanced underwater equipment technology and is scheduled to be delivered to the U.S. military in 2025. The Revolutionary Guard subsequently released information about the vehicle, indicating that it is a large autonomous underwater vehicle from the U.S., approximately 5.8 meters long, weighing nearly 3 tons, capable of operating underwater for up to 10 days, with a maximum operational depth of 6,000 meters. This underwater vehicle can be used for tasks such as underwater reconnaissance and surveillance, seabed mapping, mine detection, and supporting anti-submarine operations.