Smart Subs

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has added “smart submarines,” unmanned underwater vehicles, to its navy for the first time, a report presented on Iranian state TV. Its Guard’s Navy unveiled the vessels, along with new missiles and speedboats, at a ceremony in Iran’s southern port city of Bandar Abbas.[1]

Its new speedboats can travel at up to 95 knots (about 109 mph) and are able to launch missiles and rockets. The report also said the Guard’s navy was equipped with new maneuverable missiles with an extended range.

Since 1992, Iran has developed a homegrown defense industry that produces light and heavy weapons ranging from mortars and torpedoes to tanks and submarines.

Unmanned marine vessels, like aerial drones, are controlled by computer applications and RF signals. Both of these technologies are susceptible to cyber-attacks.

In a recent panel discussion on Challenge U.S. Navy's Strategic Thinking, Adm. James Winnefeld Jr., USN (Ret.) former vice chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff stated, “Any exposed forces that we actually get to the fight will be facing weapons we’ve never before faced or be pushed outside ranges that are relevant to the high pace of combat operations.”[2]

Is this Iranian bluster or a true maritime threat? Iran has a long coastline along the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. This is a major shipping route and thus these smart subs create a serious threat.

Red Sky Alliance is a Cyber Threat Analysis and Intelligence Service organization. For questions, comments or assistance, please contact the office directly at 1-844-492-7225, or feedback@wapacklabs.com

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