U.S. and Emirati forces survey the Arabian Fox Mast-13 drone boat Oct. 14, 2024, during exercise Iron Defender in the United Arab Emirates. Unmanned vessels were a focus of the 10-day bilateral exercise, which ended Thursday. (Christ-Claude Mowandza-Ndinga/U.S. Army)
MANAMA, Bahrain — U.S. Navy and United Arab Emirates drone operations wrapped up Thursday after a 10-day exercise in the Persian Gulf, where Iran was hosting its own maritime showcase on the opposite side of the strategic waterway.
The drills at Iron Defender included the Arabian Fox Mast 13, a joint venture between the Emirati company Al Seer and U.S. contractor L3 Harris Technologies.
Last year, the vessel was the first Navy drone boat to sail through the Strait of Hormuz, where the U.S. has accused Iran’s military of harassing multiple vessels in recent years. About one-fifth of the world’s oil passes through the narrow strait bordering Iran, according to U.S. government figures.
The exercise included search and seizure operations, diving missions and medical response drills, according to U.S. 5th Fleet, which is headquartered in Bahrain.
The U.S. naval base in Bahrain is also home to Task Force 59, which focuses on drones and high-tech innovation.
U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Alex Turner, commanding officer of USS Devastator, welcomes a United Arab Emirates officer aboard the ship during exercise Iron Defender on Oct. 14, 2024. (Christ-Claude Mowandza-Ndinga/U.S. Army)
The Navy once had ambitions of assembling a 100-vessel drone fleet in the Middle East in partnership with other nations. Those goals have since been scaled back as the service works with regional partners and focuses on combat operations in the region, naval analysts told Stars and Stripes in May.
The service has continued testing new technologies in the Middle East and in Africa, including the TRITON drone, which can submerge to avoid detection and loiter for as long as eight days, Navy officials said.
Meanwhile, Iran is developing its own drone technology, some of which has been used extensively by Russia in its war with Ukraine.
Iran showcased its goods last weekend along its southern coast during the International Maritime Exercise 2024, which was part of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium. The event included participation from Russia, Oman, Saudi Arabia, India, Pakistan, Qatar, Bangladesh and Thailand, according to Iran’s state-sponsored Press TV.
