The Navy has sailed a drone speedboat through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically important waterways, to test how well the service can integrate manned and unmanned surface vessels in operations.

The drone, an L3 Harris Arabian Fox MAST-13 unmanned surface vessel, was flanked by a pair of Coast Guard cutters on Wednesday as it sailed south from the Persian Gulf through the strait into the Gulf of Oman.

“I am proud to be part of this great partnership between the U.S. Coast Guard and the Navy in the Middle East,” said Lt. Trent Moon, commander of the USCGC John Scheuerman. “We often work side-by-side as one team with a common mission to provide security and safeguard the seas.”

In September 2021, the Navy’s 5th Fleet, based in the Middle East, set up Task Force 59 to integrate unmanned systems and artificial intelligence in regional maritime operations. Since then, the task force has deployed a number of drone systems into the region from operational bases in Jordan and Bahrain, the Navy said.

In December, Task Force 59 launched an Aerovel Flexrotor unmanned aerial vehicle from the Coast Guard cutter Emlen Tunnell while it was operating in the Persian Gulf. It marked the first drone deployment from a Coast Guard vessel, Navy officials said.

“We are on the cutting-edge of integrating advanced unmanned technology into our maritime patrols,” said Lt. Cdr. Stephen Hills, commander of the USCGC Charles Moulthrope, one of the cutters that monitored the drone speedboat. 

The Strait of Hormuz is considered the world’s most important oil transit chokepoint. Tankers carry about 17 million barrels of oil each day through the strait, or about 25% of the world’s total consumption, according to the Strauss Center for International Security and Law at the University of Texas.

• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.