As part of Operation Epic Rage against Iran, the U.S. military deployed high-speed Global Autonomous Reconnaissance Craft (GARC) unmanned boats produced by BlackSea. This had not been reported previously and marks the first known use of U.S. unmanned naval platforms in this conflict.
Reuters reported this, citing the U.S. Department of War. At the same time, there has been no official confirmation or video evidence that U.S. forces used surface drones for strike missions.
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This contrasts with Iran, which has used naval kamikaze drones to attack oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz on several occasions. These systems can also be considered autonomous boats, although little is publicly known about them.
According to U.S. Central Command spokesperson Tim Hawkins, GARC boats accumulated 450 operational hours during missions under Operation Epic Rage, covering more than 2,200 nautical miles (over 4,070 km). No further details on the activity of the U.S. unmanned naval fleet have been disclosed.
The report notes that the U.S. military is employing GARC systems against Iran amid broader challenges faced by the Navy in developing an unmanned fleet. These include delays, technical issues, high costs, and a number of unsuccessful tests.
BlackSea positions GARC as a platform for high-speed unmanned operations that combines modular payload flexibility, advanced autonomy, and high endurance. The vessel is designed for reconnaissance, surveillance, communications relay, and mine countermeasure missions.
The company emphasizes scalability and states that it is currently producing one completed unmanned boat per day.
The GARC has a length of 4.8 meters and a total weight of approximately 2,177 kg. It can carry more than 450 kg of payload. The vessel has a cruising speed of 40 km/h, a maximum speed of about 74 km/h, and a range of up to 3,000 km.
Earlier, Defense Express reported that the Pentagon acknowledged that protection against naval drones remains expensive and fragmented. The United States is therefore pursuing joint solutions with the United Kingdom.
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