The US Pentagon has officially confirmed the deployment of autonomous GARC drone speedboats for maritime patrols against Iran, marking a historic shift toward uncrewed naval warfare despite ongoing technical setbacks and performance issues during recent military testing in the Middle East
The waves of the Middle East have become the testing ground for a new era of naval warfare. For the first time, the Pentagon on Friday confirmed that the United States is deploying uncrewed drone speedboats—essentially high-tech, remote-controlled boats—to patrol volatile waters in an active conflict against Iran under Operation Epic Fury.
While the world has grown accustomed to aerial drones like the Predator or Reaper, these Uncrewed Surface Vessels (USVs) represent a shift toward the water. They are small, fast and often packed with sensors or explosives, allowing the military to project power without risking a single sailor's life.
What are these drone speedboats and how do they work?
Technically known as USVs, these are maritime platforms designed to operate on the water's surface without a human crew on board. According to , a primary model being used by the US is the Global Autonomous Reconnaissance Craft (GARC), built by Maryland-based firm BlackSea.
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