Austin-based Saronic’s drone boats used in combat for the first time in Iran

Austin-based Saronic’s autonomous Corsair drone boats have been used in combat for the first time. According to U.S. Central Command, three of the unmanned surface vessels took part in strikes on Iran’s Bandar Abbas Naval Base, targeting a submarine and a ship maintenance facility to degrade Iran’s ability to threaten shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. The 24-foot vessels, which can carry 1,000 pounds more than 1,000 miles at speeds around 35 knots and operate fully autonomously, were previously featured in CBS Austin’s “Tech This Out” coverage just days before the mission.

This combat deployment follows an earlier real-world success in which a Corsair helped rescue two U.S. Army Apache helicopter crew members after a crash off Oman. Saronic’s co-founder and CTO Vib Altekar emphasized that the company’s modular autonomous boats are designed to complement traditional Navy ships rather than replace them, increasing presence and power projection while keeping sailors safer. The milestone highlights both Saronic’s growing role and the expanding defense technology sector in Central Texas.