U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that it used, for the first time: "one-way offensive unmanned aerial vehicles, and one-way offensive maritime drones" in the strikes it carried out against Iran on Sunday, according to a report published by CNN.
CENTCOM stated: "These low-cost drones, inspired by Iranian (Shahed) UAVs, are now carrying out the U.S. response."
CENTCOM did not specify the type or number of these drones in its statement.
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 13, 2026
The war with Iran witnessed the first U.S. use of the low-cost combat drone "LUCAS," a UAV closely resembling the Iranian "Shahed 136" that Russia has used extensively in its war against Ukraine.
Regarding the maritime drones, military analyst Carl Schuster, former director of the joint intelligence center at U.S. Pacific Command, noted that the United States tested several types of them, pointing out that the unmanned surface vessel of the "Fleet-class USV" is most suitable for carrying out one-way attacks.
He added to CNN that these boats were primarily designed for mine countermeasures and anti-submarine warfare, but their speed exceeding 40 miles per hour makes them adaptable for executing suicide attacks.
He noted that the cost of a single boat exceeds two million dollars, but it "will be difficult to intercept," pointing out that the unmanned boats and "LUCAS" drones were designed to be launched from U.S. Navy coastal combat ships.
The U.S. military has concluded, this morning, the second consecutive day of a new wave of strikes against "dozens of targets" in Iran, affirming that it is prepared "to ensure freedom of navigation" in the Strait of Hormuz.
CENTCOM reiterated that the "Strait of Hormuz is a vital maritime corridor for global trade, and Iran does not control it."
It stated in a statement that it targeted "Iranian military air defense systems, coastal radar sites, missile capabilities, unmanned aerial vehicles, and small boats, using U.S. fighter jets and naval vessels, in addition to one-way offensive unmanned aerial vehicles and one-way offensive unmanned boats that were used for the first time."
For its part, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced today that it launched attacks targeting Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan.