US to build network of drones in Middle East to constrain Iran

The U.S. Navy is working with Israel, Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern nations to build a network of unmanned drones as it seeks to constrain Iran’s military in the region—a program the Pentagon hopes will be a model for operations around the world.

A ship operated by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps attempted to seize an American maritime drone—equipped with cameras, radar and other sensors—but abandoned that effort on August 30 when a U.S. warship and helicopter approached, US officials said, according to The Wall Street Journal. 

U.S. officers declined to disclose the number of aerial and maritime drones deployed by the U.S. and its allies or to give details about where and how they are used, saying that information is classified. But they said the unmanned vessels and aircraft are giving them better visibility over the region’s waters.

By next summer, the Navy said, it expects to have 100 small surveillance drones—contributed by various countries—operating from the Suez Canal in Egypt to waters off the Iranian coast and feeding information to a command centre in Bahrain, the headquarters of the U.S. Fifth Fleet.

“I think we are truly on the cusp of an unmanned technological revolution,” said Capt. Michael Brasseur, who heads the U.S. Navy task force working to build the drone fleet in the Middle East.

The drone initiative, now in its sixth month, is part of a burgeoning cooperative relationship among the U.S., Israel and Gulf nations following the Abraham Accords. It mirrors another U.S.-led effort to unite Israel and its Gulf neighbours to create a regional air-defence network.

From the Robotic Operation Center here in Manama, U.S. Navy personnel and private contractors monitor the drones’ progress. Video screens display blinking red alerts when the drones identify “dark targets” or suspected threats.

The drones—some of which can float at sea for up to six months—can send back detailed images and other data. Analysts review the images and try to determine what they show.

Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, the commander spearheading the effort, said the fleet has proven its value by detecting activity such as a Chinese naval ship moving through the area, suspicious ship-to-ship transfers and vessels using electronic trackers to disguise their identities.

The drones now being tested are unarmed. But defence analysts expect the Navy to move toward equipping some with weapons in the future—something that would likely prompt intense debate.

U.S. lawmakers have raised concerns about Navy plans to build larger unmanned ships, a program that could cost billions of dollars. And the military still has to determine how to use smaller drones, protect them from attack and act on the information they transmit.

The U.S. drone operations come as there is mounting concern about Iran’s expanding influence in one of the world’s most important economic thoroughfares. Tehran has deployed ships and submarines equipped with aerial drones and has warned it is prepared to use them.

“If the enemies make a mistake, these drones will present them with a regrettable response,” Abdolrahim Mousavi, an Iranian army commander, told reporters during a recent visit by President Biden to the region.