U.S. Military Targets Iranian Vessels
The U.S. military is actively engaging numerous small Iranian boats, which Iran refers to as “mosquito fleets.” President Trump noted that these operations utilize the same missiles deployed against drug trafficking ships in the Caribbean.
During his remarks at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, President Trump highlighted the recent resurgence of conflict with Iran. He mentioned that Iran had violated a Memorandum of Understanding by attacking a civilian vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. In response, he indicated that the U.S. military is dismantling remnants of Iranian military assets, particularly targeting smaller attack crafts.
Initially, Iran possessed some conventional military resources, like warships and aircraft, but these were largely eliminated in the early stages of the conflict. This left Iran with a significant amount of small, asymmetric warfare systems. These can be easily hidden underground and swiftly activated. The arsenal comprises, among other things, deep-strike missiles and speedboat-sized vessels.
These boats, part of Iran’s so-called “mosquito flotilla,” are intended to create chaos in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf. They rely on tactics such as launching manned suicide attacks similar to Ukrainian drones, firing anti-ship missiles made in China, and deploying mines. While the boats are unarmed and lack robust defenses, their effectiveness is rooted in their sheer numbers, making them especially susceptible to air attacks.
Trump claimed that Iranian forces had effectively neutralized many of these vessels and intended to continue these operations. Referring to Iran as the “bad guys,” he remarked:
“Their entire navy is at the bottom of the ocean, and now they have tiny little boats. And last night we knocked out 28 of them using the same weapons we used on the drug traffickers… We are using the same on the mine boats and hit many of them last night…”
He emphasized that the missiles being employed against these small crafts are the same ones used to target drug shipments originating from South America. While he didn’t specify the exact missile, it’s likely to be either the AGM-114 Hellfire or the APKWS, both known for their effectiveness.
The Hellfire, originally developed in the 1980s to target Soviet tanks, remains a reliable weapon but is arguably overpowered for use against fast boats, both in capability and cost. On the other hand, the U.S. is deploying APKWS missiles to handle these smaller threats more efficiently, providing an economical solution to neutralize unarmored targets like Iran’s Shahed-class drones and speedboats.
APKWS represents a trend in military design focusing on repurposing older, cost-effective munitions that deliver results without significant research and development expenses. This approach taps into the vast supply of legacy weapons accumulating since the Cold War.
In a similar vein, the British have developed the Martlet missile, which utilizes a guidance kit bearing historical connections to earlier missiles. Another innovative weapon is the Joint Direct Attack Munition Extended Range, which enhances traditional gravity bombs with gliding capabilities and advanced guidance systems, expanding their striking distance significantly.
Russia has also produced a version of Cold War-era munitions tailored for use in Ukraine, incorporating basic glide and guidance systems to extend their operational range.
