Iran unveils first AI-powered suicide drone launched from a submarine.
Iran’s Ministry of Defense has released a video showing what appears to be the world’s first submarine-launched suicide drone, an autonomous flying vehicle that does not require human control.
A video broadcast by Iranian state media shows a torpedo-like device emerging from the water and launching a foldable drone into the air.
The video then shows the drone flying before attacking a simulated ground target and detonating its warhead.
Iranian defense officials confirmed that the drone is fully autonomous and relies on artificial intelligence to identify and attack targets without human control or remote guidance.
Because it does not require a wireless connection to a control station, it is less vulnerable to electronic countermeasures such as jamming.
Iran has a long history of developing and deploying drones. It has used long-range munitions to attack ships and even converted a small cargo ship into a floating drone launch platform.
Iran’s Ministry of Defense has officially unveiled the “Hadid 110,” an autonomous drone with low noise and radar signature. It is able to use AI image recognition to identify targets and can be launched from an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). pic.twitter.com/yTgkxto2vl
— OSINTWarfare (@OSINTWarfare) February 12, 2025
In addition, Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have deployed hundreds of shore-based drones to attack Western merchant ships and warships in the Red Sea.
If Iranian submarine-launched drones prove effective in actual operations, this could pose new challenges for navies.
Launching from submarine launch sites closer to the target would reduce the time to be detected and intercepted, making defense more difficult.
Iran’s Ministry of Defense also claimed that the new suicide drones could be deployed from autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and manned submarines.
The launch system seen in the released images resembles Iran’s small torpedo-shaped autonomous warships, similar to those reportedly encountered by U.S. forces in the conflict with the Houthis.
While lethal AI drones have raised ethical concerns among Western militaries, such technology is developing around the world.
Similar AI weapons are being actively developed by the United States, Russia, and Ukraine, with Ukraine and Russia training their AI based on thousands of hours of drone combat footage from the ongoing war.
