Three sea drones built by Austin-based Saronic Technologies struck an Iranian naval base Sunday, marking the first time the United States has used such craft in combat.

It comes after the Texas company’s technology scored another first last month, when the same type of vessel rescued the pilots of a U.S. Apache helicopter that had been downed near the Strait of Hormuz. 

U.S. Central Command said the three one-way attack vessels struck a submarine and ship maintenance facility at Bandar Abbas Naval Base, which is located on the strait. 

The kamikaze vessels deployed in Sunday’s attack, known as Saronic Corsairs, are 24-foot speedboats that can travel more than 1,000 miles and carry payloads of up to 1,000 pounds at speeds up to 35 knots. The boats, which cost about $1 million apiece, arrived in the Middle East in late March.

The strike was part of renewed U.S. attacks on Iran after President Donald Trump said last week that another ceasefire had broken down.    

Video released by the military appears to show the vessels racing toward a complex of piers and then exploding. Another clip shows the point of view of one of the Corsairs as it races toward a structure that had a submarine suspended over the water.    

Nearby structures on land appeared to have already been destroyed. The video doesn’t show the aftermath of the blasts and the U.S. hasn’t disclosed the effectiveness of the strike. 

While Central Command said it was the first attack of its kind by the U.S., Ukrainian forces have been using similar technology from different manufacturers against Russian vessels since 2022. 

The U.S. hasn’t said which military unit was involved in the strike. The U.S. 5th Fleet’s Task Force 59 operated the drone used in last month’s rescue.  
Saronic acknowledged the use of its vessels in Sunday’s attack.

“We are proud that our technology supported this mission and helped to keep the brave men and women of the U.S. armed forces safe,” it said in a statement.

The company, which more than doubled its valuation to $9.25 billion with $1.75 billion in new funding in March, is ramping up production of its drone boats with a goal of building more than 20 annually by 2027. 

It is also eyeing the Port of Brownsville for a $3.2 billion shipyard. Cameron County has promised $211 million in tax breaks for Saronic if it selects the port as the site.  

In December, Saronic received a $392 million production contract for its Corsair vessels, with nearly $200 million obligated at the time of award. 

The company was established in 2022 by Dino Mavrookas — who spent more than a decade in the Navy’s elite SEAL commando unit — along with co-founders Rob Lehman, Vibhav Altekar and Doug Lambert.