Iran may be able to reverse-engineer a captured U.S. Navy underwater drone to develop its own lethal weapons, according to defense experts. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed Tuesday to have seized an Anduril Dive-LD near the Strait of Hormuz.
US Central Command stated that the drone had malfunctioned and was adrift for over a day before its capture. "We will lose exquisite (and not so exquisite) tech when employing it against adversaries," said retired Army Major Gen. Gordon B. "Skip" Davis of the Center for European Policy Analysis. "Sophisticated adversaries like Iran have the capability to reverse engineer material designs and some of the electronics," he added, though he believes its encrypted software is likely beyond their reach.
The drone, described as a 19-foot, 3-ton autonomous submersible, is designed for reconnaissance, mine-clearing, and anti-submarine operations. It can dive to depths of nearly 20,000 feet. Experts believe Iran will likely study the captured technology, potentially attempting to replicate its capabilities. "The defective drone was an older model that neither collected sensitive data nor carried any classified sonar or radar equipment," said CENTCOM spokesman Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard described the seizure as a "complex intelligence and operational mastermind operation." However, CENTCOM maintained the drone was non-operational.
Analysts suggest that even if Iran cannot fully replicate the drone, it could collaborate with Russia to enhance its domestic capabilities. Federico Borsari, a fellow at CEPA focusing on transatlantic defense, indicated that Iran could examine the drone's power supply, navigation systems, communications, sonar, and optical sensors. "That could help Iran improve its own underwater drones or develop ways of detecting and disrupting US vehicles in the future," Borsari said.
Steven Wills, a naval warfare specialist at the Center for Maritime Strategy, raised concerns that Iran could exploit the captured technology to infiltrate U.S. data networks supporting drone operations, which he considers more valuable than the drone itself unless it carried a significant payload.
This incident is part of a pattern of Iran attempting to acquire Western technology. Previously, Iran claimed to have captured or destroyed U.S. drones in 2011 and 2022, though U.S. officials have disputed some of these claims. In one instance, Iran reportedly declared it destroyed a "Saildrone-type" craft, but a U.S. official stated all its Saildrones were accounted for and operational.