---
title: "Iran Announces Plans to Reverse-Engineer Captured US Dive-LD Underwater Vehicle"
description: "Iran has announced plans to reverse-engineer the US Anduril Dive-LD autonomous underwater vehicle captured in the Strait of Hormuz."
date: 2026-09-27T09:35:06.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/iran-reverse-engineer-captured-us-dive-ld-drone
tags: [iran, usa, hormuz-strait, military-tech, uuv, anduril]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Iran Announces Plans to Reverse-Engineer Captured US Dive-LD Underwater Vehicle

![US underwater vehicle Dive-LD captured by Iranian military in the Strait of Hormuz](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/27/iran-obratnoe-proektirovanie-podvodnogo-apparata-usa/iran-obratnoe-proektirovanie-podvodnogo-apparata-usa-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- IRGC captured the US Dive-LD underwater drone in the Strait of Hormuz on September 8
- Iran plans to reverse-engineer the systems and technologies of the device
- Experts doubt the possibility of copying complex software and secure algorithms
- The incident echoes the 2011 interception of the US RQ-170 drone

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has announced its intention to reverse-engineer an advanced American unmanned underwater vehicle captured in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz. IRGC spokesman Brigadier General Hossein Mohebbi confirmed that the Iranian military has obtained an autonomous underwater vehicle (UUV) model Dive-LD developed by Anduril, equipped with cutting-edge intelligence gathering and seabed monitoring technologies.

### Background and Strategic Context of the Incident

The capture of advanced US underwater equipment took place on September 8 against the backdrop of rising tensions in the Strait of Hormuz region, which had previously been accompanied by harsh political statements from US leadership and Tehran's response. Iran openly states that the acquired technologies can not only be studied by local engineers to upgrade its own submarine fleet, but potentially transferred or sold to third countries.

### Technological Potential and Re-engineering Capabilities

The Dive-LD vehicle is a reusable autonomous platform capable of performing tasks at significant depths for extended periods without a crew. Experts note that if the hull and mechanical components of the device are undamaged, Iranian specialists are fully capable of reproducing them. Of particular interest to the Iranian side are underwater navigation systems, propulsion units, and hydrodynamic architecture, since working underwater precludes standard GPS usage.

### Contradictory Data

Despite confident statements from IRGC representatives regarding large-scale copying of the trophy equipment, specialized international experts express deep skepticism regarding the complete reproduction of the entire system. In particular, analyst Bryan Clark from the Hudson Institute emphasizes that mechanical copying is entirely feasible, but modern software protection measures, complex control algorithms, specialized sensors, and data encryption could become an insurmountable barrier to full reverse engineering by the Iranian military-industrial complex.

### Implications and Conclusions for Regional Security

A similar precedent occurred in 2011 when Iran intercepted an American RQ-170 Sentinel stealth drone, which subsequently allowed Tehran to accelerate the development of its own unmanned aerial program. In the case of the Dive-LD underwater drone, successful study of even some components will allow Iran to reduce its technological lag in marine unmanned systems, posing new risks to navigation safety and military operations in key Middle Eastern oil choke points.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Иран "анализирует" "самое современное" военное оборудование США, захваченное в Ормузском проливе.](https://www.vietnam.vn/ru/iran-mo-xe-khi-tai-hien-dai-nhat-cua-my-thu-giu-duoc-tai-eo-bien-hormuz) - Основной источник детального описания захвата аппарата Dive-LD и мнений экспертов.
- [Иран в ответ на заявление Трампа: Ормузский пролив останется иранским](https://ru.euronews.com/2026/08/15/iran-trump-hormuz) - Контекст геополитической напряженности в Ормузском проливе.
- [Трамп хочет сделать Ормузский пролив территорией США. Что ему ответили в Иране и России?](https://www.gazeta.ru/politics/2026/08/15/23397589.shtml) - Дополнительный политический фон вокруг пролива.
- [Трамп раскрыл планы на Ормузский пролив: из Ирана прилетела ответочка](https://inosmi.ru/20260815/ormuzskiy-proliv-279708239.html) - Подтверждение риторики сторон.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: What exact vehicle did Iran capture in the Strait of Hormuz?
**A:** The Iranian military captured the advanced Anduril Dive-LD autonomous underwater vehicle.

### Q: What does Iran plan to do with the captured US equipment?
**A:** The IRGC announced plans to reverse-engineer the device's technologies and did not rule out transferring or selling developments to third countries.