{"id":67027,"date":"2022-09-12T16:22:40","date_gmt":"2022-09-12T13:22:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/?p=67027"},"modified":"2025-09-07T04:29:59","modified_gmt":"2025-09-07T01:29:59","slug":"u-s-deploys-ai-drones-to-patrol-the-persian-gulf","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/u-s-deploys-ai-drones-to-patrol-the-persian-gulf\/","title":{"rendered":"U.S. deploys AI drones to patrol the Persian Gulf"},"content":{"rendered":"

The U.S. Navy has deployed a fleet of air, surface and underwater drones to patrol the Persian Gulf, combining their surveillance with artificial intelligence, according to France24<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Details of the programme emerged after two incidents on 29\u201330 August and 1 September 2022 involving Iranian forces, who twice attempted to seize the drones.<\/p>\n

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In the first incident, a vessel from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps hooked a Saildrone unmanned surface vessel with a towline and began towing it. When a patrol craft and a U.S. Navy helicopter arrived at the scene, the authorities released the vessel.<\/p>\n

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In the second case, an Iranian destroyer recovered two Saildrones in the Red Sea and brought them aboard. The American forces retrieved the devices the following day, albeit without video cameras.<\/p>\n

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Iranian officials said the drones were in international waters and hindered the free passage of vessels. They were retrieved ‘to prevent possible accidents’.<\/p>\n

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The U.S. Navy said the drones operated outside shipping lanes and were unarmed.<\/p>\n

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Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, Commander of U.S. Central Command, called Iran’s actions ‘shocking, unjustified and inconsistent with the conduct of professional naval forces’.<\/p>\n

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‘The U.S. will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law permits,’ he added.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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The drone-patrol programme in the Persian Gulf has been in operation since September 2021. Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for the U.S. Fifth Fleet, said that the military obtains information from all unmanned sources\u2014air, land and sea\u2014and also uses AI to detect unusual activity.<\/p>\n

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‘You need artificial intelligence to determine what deserves more attention,’ Hawkins said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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He added that the programme is not secret. The command was puzzled as to why Iran, a year after its launch, attempted to seize several ships.<\/p>\n

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Earlier, the U.S. military conducted international naval exercises using AI and unmanned systems.<\/p>\n

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