US Navy says Iran seized and released US sea drone collecting navigation and other unspecified data

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has seized an American sea drone in the Gulf and tried to tow it away, only releasing the unmanned vessel when a US Navy warship and helicopter approached, US officials have said.

The incident on Tuesday marks the first time the Navy’s Middle East-based 5th Fleet’s new drone task force has been targeted by Iran.

While the interception ended without incident, it comes amid growing tensions between the United States and Iran as negotiations over the tattered Iranian nuclear deal hang in the balance.

The IRGC’s Shahid Baziar warship attached a line to the Saildrone Explorer in the central part of the Gulf in international waters late Monday night, said Commander Timothy Hawkins, a 5th Fleet spokesman.

The vessel then began towing the Saildrone Explorer, which carries cameras, radars and sensors for remotely monitoring the sea, Hawkins said.

The USS Thunderbolt, a Navy coastal patrol boat, as well as an MH-60 Seahawk helicopter, moved to shadow the IRGC ship. The Navy called the Shahid Baziar by radio to identify the drone as American, Hawkins said.

“Our response was one that as such made clear that this was US government property and was operating in international waters and that we had every intention to take action if necessary,” the commander told The Associated Press news agency.

Hawkins said the incident ended peacefully after some four hours as the Iranians unhooked the tow line to the drone and left the area as the American forces were nearby.
-----------
*** With solar panels and a sail wing five meters tall, the Saildrone Explorer is driven by solar and wind energy and can be deployed on missions on the ocean for up to one year, monitored remotely by a human pilot.

It can collect a broad range of oceanic, navigational and meteorological data, as well as strategic intelligence.
#seadrone #seadrones #iranian #solarpanels #IRGC #revolutionaryguard
#navigationdata #saildrone #windenergy #intelligence