Iran says it captured US submarine drone in Strait of Hormuz
An unmanned U.S. submersible Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says it captured at the entrance of the Strait of Hormuz, at an undisclosed location in Iran, in this picture obtained on... Purchase Licensing Rights , opens new tab Read more Summary Iran says it captured unmanned submarine with latest technologies Pentagon says drone malfunctioned more than a day earlier while surveying regional waters Anduril says its Dive-LD submarine can operate up to 10 days WASHINGTON, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Tuesday it had captured a U.S. uncrewed submarine at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, offering a rare glimpse into how underwater drones are being used in military operations. Iranian state media said the vessel was a Dive-LD, a large autonomous underwater vehicle built by California defense firm Anduril. The 19-foot (5.8-metre) submersible can carry out missions including mine countermeasures, seabed mapping, intelligence gathering and the inspection of underwater infrastructure such as cables and pipelines, the company has said. Sign up here. "We trapped one of the most modern, intelligent and unmanned submarines of the terrorist American army at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz. This submersible is equipped with the latest technologies," the Revolutionary Guards Navy said in a statement carried by Iranian state media. In response, a Pentagon spokesperson said an underwater drone had "malfunctioned more than a day ago." "It was surveying regional waters in support of ongoing operations. The defective drone was an older model that neither collected sensitive data nor carried any classified sonar or radar equipment," the spokesperson said. Reuters could not independently verify Iran's claims and the Pentagon did not address them in its statement. Anduril did not respond to a request for comment. The U.S. military is investing heavily in unmanned naval systems, including underwater and surface vessels, as it seeks cheaper ways to monitor vast areas of ocean, gather intelligence and track adversary ships and submarines without putting sailors at risk. According to Anduril's website, Dive-LD can operate for up to 10 days without returning to base and is designed to dive to depths of as much as 6,000 metres (19,700 feet). Dive-LD units cost about $2.5 million each, U.S. military news site DefenseScoop reported in 2024. Reporting by Idrees Ali, Joe Brock and David Jeans; Editing by Cynthia Osterman Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab Suggested Topics: Middle East X Facebook Linkedin Email Link Purchase Licensing Rights Idrees Ali Thomson Reuters National security correspondent focusing on the Pentagon in Washington D.C. Reports on U.S. military activity and operations throughout the world and the impact that they have. Has reported from over two dozen countries to include Iraq, Afghanistan, and much of the Middle East, Asia and Europe. From Karachi, Pakistan. Email X Instagram Joe Brock Thomson Reuters Joe Brock is Reuters' aerospace and defense editor, based in Los Angeles, where he leads a global team of reporters covering airlines, aerospace, weapons manufacturers, and the space industry. Joe has previously worked in Singapore, Johannesburg, Abuja and London as a reporter and bureau chief. He has received several awards for his investigative journalism, including from the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing and The Society of Publishers in Asia. Email X Linkedin