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Last Update: 09/22/2026 at 11:34 PM EST
U.S. Maritime Drone Operations
Coverage from Stars and Stripes, DefenseScoop, and others
U.
S. maritime drones are moving beyond trials into missions that include surveillance, recovery, and combat. The Navy’s Task Force 59 has operated Saronic Corsair uncrewed surface vessels around the Fifth Fleet area, including near Oman and the Strait of Hormuz. A Corsair helped recover two Army helicopter crew members from the water after an Apache crash, while later reporting described Corsairs striking targets near Iran’s Bandar Abbas Naval Base. Together, these operations illustrate how autonomous surface vessels are being integrated into naval security, rescue planning, procurement, and battlefield employment.
Looking Back
138 Day Timeline
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All Articles20 articles
Important
On September 18, 2026, Pete Hegseth visited Saronic Technologies in Austin after the company's Corsair sea drones conducted a rescue near Oman and a strike near Iran.
9/18/2026 • Military Drones & Battlefield Use • General
A U.S. Apache crash near the Strait of Hormuz led to a soldier rescue using a Navy Corsair autonomous surface vessel operated by 5th Fleet Task Force 59 after an Iranian attack drone report.
6/10/2026 • Military Drones & Battlefield Use • General
Saronic Corsair naval drones attacked a facility at Bandar Abbas and rescued two pilots near Oman in early July, while Ukrainian maritime drones conducted strikes around the Black Sea.
9/8/2026 • Military Drones & Battlefield Use • General
On June 8, 2026, U.S. forces used a Saronic Corsair unmanned surface vessel to recover two AH-64 Apache crew members off Oman after an incident near the Strait of Hormuz.
6/25/2026 • Military Drones & Battlefield Use • General
Interesting
Centcom released footage in a sea drone operation at Bandar Abbas Naval Base, Iran, on a kamikaze direct-impact strike by Task Force 59 systems.
7/15/2026 • Military Drones & Battlefield Use • General
U.S. Central Command reported first combat use of one-way attack sea drones against Iran’s Bandar Abbas Naval Base on the Strait of Hormuz using Saronic Corsair systems.
7/14/2026 • Military Drones & Battlefield Use • General
U.S. Central Command reported three Corsair sea drones attacked Iran's Bandar Abbas naval base, targeting a submarine and ship-maintenance facility to reduce threats to commercial shipping.
7/13/2026 • Military Drones & Battlefield Use • General
Pentagon released video showing U.S. Central Command used Saronic Corsair sea drones in combat against Iranian naval targets at Bandar Abbas, supporting operations affecting Strait of Hormuz shipping.
7/13/2026 • Military Drones & Battlefield Use • General
CENTCOM reported July 12 strikes against Iran using fighter aircraft, naval vessels, one-way aerial drones, and one-way attack sea drones in the Strait of Hormuz.
7/13/2026 • Military Drones & Battlefield Use • General
U.S. Central Command reported that a Corsair unmanned surface vessel from 5th Fleet Task Force 59 in Bahrain executed the first reported unmanned sea rescue after an Apache helicopter crash near the Strait of Hormuz.
6/10/2026 • Military Drones & Battlefield Use • General
CENTCOM said Task Force 59 used an unmanned surface drone to rescue two soldiers after an AH-64 Apache crash near the Strait of Hormuz.
6/9/2026 • Military Drones & Battlefield Use • General
A U.S. Navy Corsair unmanned surface vessel assisted a U.S. rescue of two AH-64 Apache crew members after a helicopter crash near Oman.
6/9/2026 • Military Drones & Battlefield Use • General
CENTCOM reported overnight US strikes against Iran using one-way attack sea drones, while programs for low-cost combat drone and unmanned surface vessel testing expand in the Middle East.
7/13/2026 • Military Drones & Battlefield Use • General
CENTCOM said Saronic Corsair sea drones struck targets at Bandar Abbas Naval Base over the weekend, described as the first US combat use of sea drones, after a prior AH-64 Apache rescue mission.
7/13/2026 • Military Drones & Battlefield Use • General
CENTCOM reported early Monday strikes against Iran using one-way sea attack drones to degrade missile and drone capability affecting commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
7/13/2026 • Military Drones & Battlefield Use • General
US military used a Corsair uncrewed surface vessel operated by Task Force 59 in early June to rescue two Apache helicopter crew members near the Strait of Hormuz.
6/23/2026 • Military Drones & Battlefield Use • General
CENTCOM reported a Navy Corsair uncrewed surface vessel supported rescue of two AH-64 Apache crew members after helicopter loss off Oman early Tuesday.
6/9/2026 • Military Drones & Battlefield Use • General
U.S. Central Command said an unmanned Corsair boat rescued two Apache aviators after a helicopter crash near Oman during a Tuesday patrol, while Donald Trump blamed Iran.
6/9/2026 • Military Drones & Battlefield Use • General
CENTCOM said it used one-way attack sea drones for the first time during strikes on Iranian targets, supported by Task Force 59 unmanned maritime integration.
7/13/2026 • Military Drones & Battlefield Use • General
U.S. and Moroccan forces coordinated drone-enabled search and rescue for two missing U.S. Army soldiers off southern Morocco during and after African Lion training.
5/4/2026 • Public Safety, Emergency Response & Government Use • General