In May, American Apaches, which are bristling with an array of Hellfire missiles and chain guns, sank Iranian fast boats while guiding commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. On Tuesday, Donald Trump revealed Iran had downed the Apache and vowed to retaliate.

Like the Navy’s shipbuilding plan, the HASC’s draft of the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act notes undersea drones’ usefulness in maritime operations and pushes the Navy to adopt and integrate the extra-large unmanned underwater drones that have already been tested.

The Defense Department is using autonomous surface vessels to patrol the waters of the Rio Grande to detect drug smugglers and deter illegal crossings.

An unmanned drone boat rescued two Army helicopter airmen from the water after their Apache helicopter went down in the Strait of Hormuz.