The US Navy has deployed its first-ever drone boat, the L3 Harris Arabian Fox MAST-13, via the Strait of Hormuz, a major waterway for global energy supplies, according to a report by AP.
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow channel of water that connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, where a fifth of all oil traded passes through the waterway. Iran often challenges US sailors sailing through the Strait, which is why the drone boat drew the attention of Iran's Revolutionary Guard.
However, the drone's passage through the Strait was completed without incident.
UNDISCLOSED LOCATION, AT SEA - APRIL 17: In this handout image released by the South Korean Defense Ministry, South Korean Navy's destroyer Yulgok Yi I (C), U.S. Navy's USS Benfold (R) and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force's JS Atago (L) sail in formation during a joint naval exercise in international waters on April 17, 2023, at an undisclosed location.
Joined by 2 Coast Guard Cutters
According to Navy spokesman Cmdr. Timothy Hawkins, the L3 Harris Arabian Fox MAST-13 drone boat, which was equipped with sensors and cameras, was joined by two US Coast Guard cutters, the USCGC Charles Moulthrope and USCGC John Scheuerman.
The MAST-13 was monitored by Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, as well as an Iranian drone and a Houdong-class fast-attack vessel. Hawkins confirmed that the Iranians observed the unmanned surface vessel's transit through the Strait in compliance with international law.
The 5th Fleet of the US Navy is headquartered in Bahrain and is responsible for patrolling the waters of the Middle East, particularly the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.
The primary objective of the fleet is to ensure that the waterways remain open for international trade and to safeguard the interests and well-being of the United States and its allies in the region.
However, Iran has viewed the presence of the US Navy as an insult and has compared it to Iran's own forces conducting patrols in the Gulf of Mexico.
Specialized Drone Task Force
To bolster its presence in the region, the 5th Fleet established a specialized drone task force last year to deploy up to 100 unmanned drones, both surface and underwater, in cooperation with US allies.
Several American drones being tested in the region were briefly seized by Iran last year, but there have been no similar incidents since then, according to AP.
The MAST-13 drone is now in operation in the Gulf of Oman, where there has been a maritime shadow war involving the seizure of oil tankers by Iranian forces and suspicious explosions on vessels in the region. However, Iran has refuted claims of involvement in these incidents.
According to Hawkins, the MAST-13 drone is equipped with video feeds that can transmit images back to shore and to ships at sea, allowing sailors to spot approaching ships before they come too close.
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