Iran claims to have captured US submarine drone in Strait of Hormuz

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards announced on Tuesday that they captured a US uncrewed submarine at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz. The vessel is identified as a Dive-LD, a large autonomous underwater vehicle manufactured by the California defense firm Anduril. The 19-foot submersible is capable of performing various missions, including mine countermeasures, seabed mapping, intelligence gathering, and inspecting underwater infrastructure such as cables and pipelines, according to the company. The Revolutionary Guards Navy stated, "We trapped one of the most modern, intelligent and unmanned submarines of the terrorist American army at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz. This submersible is equipped with the latest technologies." In response, a Pentagon spokesperson indicated that an underwater drone had malfunctioned over a day ago while surveying regional waters in support of ongoing operations. The spokesperson noted that the defective drone was an older model that did not collect sensitive data or carry classified sonar or radar equipment. Anduril confirmed the loss of one of its vessels but minimized the incident's significance, stating, "Dive-LD is an attritable autonomous system, meaning it is designed from the outset to operate in dangerous environments where loss of the vehicle is an expected possibility." The US military is investing significantly in unmanned naval systems, including underwater and surface vessels, to monitor extensive ocean areas, gather intelligence, and track adversary ships and submarines without risking sailors. According to Anduril’s website, the Dive-LD can operate for up to 10 days without returning to base and can dive to depths of up to 19,700 feet. The cost of each Dive-LD unit is approximately $2.5 million, as reported by US military news site DefenseScoop in 2024.