Iranian IRGC Show Uncrewed Explosive Boat (USV)
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Iran’s ‘mosquito fleet’ of small fast boats has yet to make a large impact in the war in the Middle East. But it’s explosive-laden USVs (uncrewed surface vessels), conceptually similar to those used by Ukraine, have struck tankers.
A video, which was circulated by Iran in January 2026 but gained renewed interest lately, shows a large number of vessels in an IRGC-N (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps – Navy) underground base. Among these vessels is a type of small speedboat which I believe has been used as an uncrewed surface vessel (USV) in attacks on tankers in the Persian Gulf.
Likely uncrewed explsive boat (USV)
It is no surprise that Iran has explosive USVs, it supplied this technology to the Houthi Movement in Yemen, yet its own types have been elusive. The design witnessed is a small interceptor-boast with twin outboard motors, and a fixed mast behind a small cockpit aft. This suggests that, like the Houthi’s ‘blowfish’, it can be crewed for part of its mission. It is likely that it will be commanded from another boat during the attack. USVs represent a much greater threat to merchant vessels than many of Iran’s crewed ‘mosquito fleet’ boats.
The attack on the tanker Sonangol Namibe off Kuwait on March 5.
Reference image of the underground base showing many of the same types of vessel shown in the video.
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