Saronic Corsair drone boats used in first US offensive naval strike, hitting Iran's Bandar Abbas

On 12 July 2026, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it struck a submarine and ship maintenance facility at Iran's Bandar Abbas Naval Base using three Corsair unmanned surface vessels (USVs) built by Saronic Technologies. CENTCOM described it as the first time American forces have employed sea drones in an offensive strike role, marking a milestone for autonomous maritime warfare.

The 24-foot Corsair, operated as a one-way attack surface drone in this mission, is the same platform that carried out the first publicised drone-boat rescue of a downed US Apache crew near the Strait of Hormuz in June 2026. Saronic, founded by Dino MavrookasDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, builds autonomous surface vessels for the US Navy and raised $1.75 billion at a $9.25 billion valuation in March 2026.

Read more: CENTCOM (X)