Iran’s Attempted Drone Thefts Highlight Challenges of Protecting Unmanned Vessels at Sea

[rangerrebew]

THREATS
Iran’s Attempted Drone Thefts Highlight Challenges of Protecting Unmanned Vessels at Sea

Navy may minimally-man some vessels to provide security, CNO says.
CAITLIN M. KENNEY | SEPTEMBER 14, 2022 04:05 PM ET
NAVY DRONES IRAN
   
The U.S. Navy managed to retrieve a trio of unmanned vessels from Iranian would-be thieves recently, but the incidents highlight the need to protect maritime drones that may in the future be valuable, armed, or sensitive.

In the span of a week, Iranian forces tried to steal U.S. unmanned surface vessels in the Persian Gulf and Red Sea, and in both instances U.S. helicopters and ships stopped the Iranians and retrieved the drones. The 5th Fleet’s Task Force 59 is using these Saildrone Explorers as part of its experimentation into how to incorporate unmanned vessels into fleet operations.

Military experts who spoke to Defense One were unsurprised by Iran’s attempts to steal the drones, based on previous unprofessional behavior in the region, including unsafe maneuvers near ships and the detention of U.S. sailors in 2016. Iran also has a history of capturing or shooting down American aerial drones and trying to reverse-engineer them.

https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2022/09/irans-attempted-drone-thefts-highlight-challenges-protecting-unmanned-vessels-sea/377154/

[rangerrebew]

Nooooo!  Do they mean to say UNMANNED vessels can't protect themselves?  And not one admiral questioned it?  

[Smokin Joe]

Just wait until those Chinese over by Grand Forks (the ones who bought 300 acres of potato farm) get the signals and frequencies down on the drones being developed just 12 miles away...

For a price, the Iranians will be more successful.

Stupid will hurt, sooner or later.