Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed that its naval forces destroyed a US unmanned surface vessel, identified as a Saildrone with hull number 5838, at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz.
In an announcement published on September 10, the IRGC said its naval forces struck the unmanned vessel and prevented it from carrying out what Tehran described as an “aggressive mission.”
According to the announcement, the United States had deployed unmanned vessels to the Strait of Hormuz in recent days. The IRGC claimed that the deployment was intended to avoid a direct confrontation with Iranian forces.
“The IRGC Navy, with the help of Almighty God, struck one of the enemy’s unmanned vessels, hull number 5838, of the Saildrone type, at the entrance to the strategic Strait of Hormuz and thwarted it from carrying out its aggressive mission,” the statement said.
The IRGC Navy further claimed that the Strait of Hormuz is under its “smart control and intelligence surveillance” and warned that any hostile presence in the strategic waterway would be targeted.
The announcement did not specify how the unmanned vessel was struck or provide details on its condition following the reported attack. The US military had not immediately commented on the Iranian claims.
Saildrone is a US company that designs, builds, and operates unmanned surface vehicles for government, commercial and civil missions. Its vehicles combine autonomous technology, advanced sensors, and communications to provide persistent maritime surveillance and data collection.
The US Navy has previously operated Saildrone unmanned surface vessels in the Middle East as part of efforts to integrate autonomous systems into fleet operations. In 2022, US Naval Forces Central Command began operational testing of the wind-powered Saildrone Explorer in the Arabian Gulf through Task Force 59.
More recently, the US Navy identified the Saildrone Voyager as part of its small unmanned surface vehicle family of systems.
The Saildrone Voyager is a 10-meter unmanned surface vehicle designed for persistent coastal surveillance, maritime intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as seafloor mapping. According to the company, the platform can operate for up to 100 days between service stops and is equipped with an electric motor and the company's wind-powered Saildrone Wing for propulsion. It can carry mission-specific payloads and sensors, including radar, cameras and other equipment for maritime domain awareness.