▲ A photo of the unmanned underwater vehicle released by Sepah News, an outlet linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy claimed that it seized a cutting-edge US unmanned submarine in the Strait of Hormuz on the 8th local time.
Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported that the IRGC Navy announced in a statement that day, "This morning, through a complex intelligence and military operation, we seized a state-of-the-art smart unmanned submarine belonging to the US terrorist military at the entrance of the Strait of Hormuz."
The IRGC explained that the submarine "is equipped with the latest technology in the underwater sector and was originally scheduled to be delivered to the fleet of the US terrorist military in 2025."
It added, "We have currently secured the submarine, and we will release related photos and videos to the public within a few hours."
In connection with this, Sepah News, an outlet linked to the IRGC, specifically reported that the captured submarine is the Dive-LD, an autonomous underwater vehicle developed by US defense technology firm Anduril Industries.
The outlet also explained that the Dive-LD is approximately 5.8 meters long and weighs 3 tons, capable of conducting independent operations in the deep sea for up to 10 days.
Originally scheduled to be introduced to the US Navy Unmanned Maritime Systems Program Office last year, this underwater vehicle's main missions include undersea reconnaissance and surveillance, mine detection, inspection of submarine cables and pipelines, and support for anti-submarine warfare (ASW).
Sepah News evaluated the Dive-LD as a core asset equipped with both autonomy, operational endurance, and mission adaptability.
(Photo: Capture from Sepah News Telegram, Yonhap News)