On July 12, the United States used one-way attack marine drones (OWA) for the first time to strike Iranian targets located in the Strait of Hormuz following attacks carried out by the IRGC naval units against merchant ships and oil tankers in transit.
According to a statement released by the United States Central Command (US CENTCOM), OWA marine drones were used—in combination with aerial drones and precision munitions launched from fighters and warships—against air defense systems, coastal radar positions, missile assets, and drones, as well as small vessels belonging to the IRGC, with the aim of reducing Iran’s defensive and offensive potential and keeping the Strait of Hormuz open for free navigation.
OWA marine drones, also referred to as “kamikaze” or “suicide” unmanned surface vessels (USV), are employed by the US Navy to conduct remote, semi-autonomous, or fully autonomous attacks against coastal infrastructures and naval targets.
Thanks to their low cost (up to $50,000), these platforms can be produced in large quantities; the OWA are equipped with high-explosive warheads weighing several hundred kilograms, can be deployed individually and in swarms, in order to saturate enemy defenses through multi-vector engagement maneuvers.
The USV OWA of the US Navy
The United States Navy classifies OWA USVs into four categories: Micro (under 6 meters in length), Small (with a length between 6 and 13.7 meters), Medium (with a length between 13.7 and 49 meters), and Large (with a length over 49 meters).
The Micro category is used for USV tasks and operations in coastal waters, the Small category is used by naval units for MCM and ISR tasks; the Medium category is intended for anti-submarine warfare and for the operational deployment of modular payloads.
Finally, the Large class represents actual units that the US Navy is currently developing to serve as escort and operational ships to be deployed alongside crewed vessels or to cover vast maritime areas.
Source: United States Central Command (US CENTCOM)
Photo @Saronic