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[INTERNATIONAL] · Iran, United States · 26 sources

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IRGC Navy claims capture of U.S. Dive-LD underwater drone in Strait of Hormuz

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy announced on Tuesday that it captured a U.S. unmanned underwater vehicle at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state media identified the vessel as a Dive-LD, a large autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) manufactured by the California-based defense firm Anduril Industries. The submersible is approximately 5.8 meters long, weighs nearly three tons, and is capable of operating at depths of up to 6,000 meters for up to 10 days.

In response, the U.S. military stated that an underwater drone had malfunctioned during a regional survey mission. A Pentagon spokesperson characterized the device as an older model that was not carrying sensitive data or classified sonar and radar equipment. Anduril Industries acknowledged the loss of a vessel but noted that the Dive-LD is an attritable system designed to operate in high-risk environments where the loss of the vehicle is an expected possibility.

The incident occurs amid heightened maritime tensions in the region, including reported U.S. strikes on Iranian oil tankers and Iranian ballistic missile responses.

Entities

Anduril Industries · Aram Vardanyan · Armenia · Byureghavan · Dive-LD · Iran · Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps · Levon Kocharyan · Pentagon · Robert Kocharyan · Strait of Hormuz · Tim Hawkins

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