Not all drones fly. A US Navy coastal patrol vessel operating in the Arabian Sea stopped an attempt by an Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy supply ship to abscond with an American maritime drone, forcing the Iranian ship to cut the tether it was using to tow the drone to shore, CNN reports.
In a move a senior US commander in the region called a “flagrant” and “unwarranted” incident, the USS Thunderbolt spotted the Iranian Shahid Baziar towing an unmanned surface Saildrone Explorer drone and intercepted the IRCGN ship. The Thunderbolt was later joined by a US Navy Sea Hawk helicopter, which positioned itself directly over the drone. Officers aboard the Thunderbolt made direct contact with the Iranian ship and demanded the ship release the drone, which it did. The Shahid Baziar remained in the area for about four hours more before heading back to port.
The Navy uses surface drones to help boost radar and sonar coverage. It’s equipped with sensors to identify potential threats in the water and to help provide navigation information in crowded waters.