RED Sea ships face a new deadly threat from underwater drones, US forces have warned.
Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have deployed an “unmanned underwater vehicle” for the first time, America’s CentCom headquarters revealed.
The US did not release details of the underwater drone it destroyed.
But pictures of the parts seized on the smuggler's boat on January 28 showed what looked like a torpedo propeller.
It could be the similar model to what Iran unveiled in December - a new devastating and secretive homegrown submarine drone which can go as deep as 200m.
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Iran's new toy acts like a torpedo by moving stealthily towards its target and exploding.
It comes as the crew of a UK-registered merchant vessel were forced to abandon their ship yesterday after a double Houthi missile strike left it sinking in the treacherous Bab el-Mandeb strait.
The attack on the 170m-long Rubymar was by far the most damaging since October 23, when Houthi rebels ramped up their attacks in response to the Israel Gaza war.
Earlier, the US Red Sea task force said it destroyed a mini-submarine, a surface maritime drone and three anti-ship cruise missiles over the weekend.
All five weapons posed an imminent threat to US warships and merchant vessels in the region, CentCom added.
The strikes came days after US officials revealed they seized underwater drone parts on a gun-runners’ boat in the Arabian Sea.
A US Coastguard cutter stormed the unnamed vessel packed with weapons components from Iran.
CentCom said: “The boarding team discovered over 200 packages that contained medium-range ballistic missile components, explosives, unmanned underwater [and] surface vehicle components, military-grade communication and network equipment, anti-tank guided missile launcher assemblies, and other military components.”
Ukraine has proved the power of sea drones by sinking Russian warships, including the Caesar Kunikov landing ship and Ivanovets corvette this month.
Naval expert H I Sutton warned underwater drones were more likely to surprise their targets and would force the Navy ships to change tactics.
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Writing for the US Naval Institute News, he said: “Underwater weapons are inherently harder to detect and counter than surface vessels.
“They are more likely to surprise the target and can cause holes below the waterline which can be more damaging.
“They also require a different set of tactics for the escorting warships to counter them.
“Ukraine has amply demonstrated the effectiveness of explosive-laden surface drones against Russian platforms.
“The Houthis have had less success, largely due to the presence of US Navy and allied warships in the region.”
Sutton said drones which look like torpedos are usually slower than normal torpedos but have a greater range.
He said they are "most effective against static targets such as ships in port or at anchor".
It comes as pictures emerged allegedly showing the debris of a US drone after it was shot down by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea.
The militia group allegedly downed the MQ9 in the port city of Hodeidah, according to Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea.
