Free Republic

The United States military has deployed advanced explosive sea drones in direct combat for the first time, hitting a vital naval maintenance port inside Iran and triggering swift Iranian drone and missile counterstrikes across the region. A major shift in maritime technology has moved the regional geopolitical theater into uncharted territory. American military forces executed a series of direct strikes against an Iranian naval stronghold, marking a significant development in current maritime operations. The deployment of advanced automated weaponry highlights a critical phase in the ongoing standoff over international shipping corridors. The tactical operation focused heavily on the Persian Gulf...

Three tankers were struck by projectiles Tuesday in the Strait of Hormuz, the British military said, in the latest attacks targeting vessels moving through the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf. One of the tankers was traveling off the coast of Oman and caught fire, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center. Iranian state television said the liquefied natural gas tanker came under attack after ignoring warnings but did not directly claim the assault. Two other tankers were also hit, including one that was struck by a drone. It was not immediately clear where they were at the...

A photographer in Boston, Massachusetts, got a sneak peak of the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular drone show during a rehearsal on Friday, July 3. Boston-based photographer @betterfoodbetterphoto was on the Charles River Esplanade when he captured footage of drones making the shape of a man holding a musket. The Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular took place on Saturday evening and saw a revolutionary-themed drone show during a performance of the 1812 Overture and a fireworks display choreographed to music by the orchestra. According to reports, Massachusetts State Police evacuated viewing areas around the Charles River Esplanade ahead of the show because...

SPARKS AND STRIPES! Battleship Texas helped celebrate America's 250th birthday on July 3, 2026, with a drone show, fireworks, and multiple 14-inch gun salutes. The Battleship is currently undergoing restoration before moving to her new location across the harbor, where she will have a visitor center and welcome visitors on board.

Russia has begun using a new autonomous version of its Molniya strike drone in Ukraine, adapting the cheap fixed-wing attack UAV to hit targets without the control antenna that made earlier models vulnerable to electronic warfare, Defence Blog reported, citing an advisor to the Ukrainian Defense Minister Serhii “Flash” Beskrestnov on July 3. The new variant was identified after a Russian Molniya struck a Ukrainian facility and was later found without the usual antenna used for operator control. Ukrainian radio technology specialist Beskrestnov said the drone carried only a camera and an onboard computer, suggesting a different strike profile. Instead...

It comes after another drone-related scare involving a Newark-bound flight just this past Friday. A JetBlue pilot reported hitting a drone as the flight made its approach to John F. Kennedy International Airport Monday, aviation officials say, marking the tri-state's second drone-plane incident in four days.The pilot reported the incident at an altitude of about 3,000 feet while the flight was on its final approach to the Queens hub around 7:15 a.m. Air traffic control radio showed the pilot say, "it hit us right above the cockpit."JetBlue said in a statement that the flight, which had departed from Las...

Iran launched a drone assault targeting Bahrain while a ship in the Strait of Hormuz separately came under attack Saturday in Tehran's likely response to overnight airstrikes by the United States. The U.S. had launched airstrikes overnight in response to an Iranian drone attack on a container ship trying to leave the strait Thursday, continuing a string of attacks that have shaken the war's uneasy ceasefire. Iran has insisted that ships must obey its orders and warned it will start charging fees for transit through the strait. However, ships have been increasingly trying to leave the Gulf in recent days....

A United Airlines jet nearly smashed into a drone as it was landing on the Newark runway Friday, officials said. The crew narrowly avoided the unmanned aircraft during its descent around 4:20 p.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration. “We almost hit a drone,” the pilot can be heard saying in air traffic control audio verified by CNN. The circular and three-foot-wide device was only “about 100 feet below us.” Another pilot flying into Newark on a separate plane also reported seeing the drone at roughly 2,000 feet, additional audio shows. The United Airlines Boeing 737 was carrying 106 passengers...

Footage shows the moment an explosion at an oil refinery in Moscow caused a fuel storage lid to fly off. The explosion was caused by a Ukrainian drone attack where one of Moscow’s most important energy facilities was damaged for the second time this week.

The FBI thwarted a plot targeting Sunday's UFC event at the White House, and has taken multiple suspects into custody, according to the agency's head, Kash Patel. Part of the plan involved striking nearby buildings with explosive-laden drones, according to court documents unsealed on Tuesday. One suspect was arrested in Ohio last week, where investigators obtained access to encrypted messages involving other alleged plotters. He has been charged with conspiracy to commit an offence against the US and attempted murder of a federal officer, according to the documents. "Allegedly planned attacks were stopped cold," Patel said in a social media...

A U.S. official says the U.S. military shot down two Iranian drones that were trying to strike commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz tonight. “It appears Iran has attempted to strike commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz tonight. U.S. forces shot down two Iranian one-way attack drones. Traffic flow through the Strait continues,” the official said. The attack occurred after Trump spoke about being close to a deal with Iran this afternoon.

A US drone boat conducted a first-of-its-kind rescue mission to save the crew of an American Apache helicopter that crashed near the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, the military said. The 24-foot Saronic Corsair autonomous surface vessel, powered by artificial intelligence, located the crew who had been stuck for two hours in the waters off the coast of Oman, the Wall Street Journal reported. The unmanned autonomous vessel, capable of carrying 1,000 pounds and reaching speeds of about 40 mph, quickly transported the pilots to a safe location in the waters, where they were hoisted up by a rescue chopper,...

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the pilots of a United States Army Apache helicopter gunship that went down near the Strait of Hormuz "are fine." Speaking on the runway at John F. Kennedy International Airport before returning to Washington, D.C., Trump said there was "nobody injured," adding that the US will release an incident report later on Tuesday. It was not immediately clear whether the Apache was shot down by Iranian fire, experienced mechanical failure, or encountered some other problem. The New York Times reported earlier on Tuesday, citing two people briefed on the incident. According to...

A US drone boat conducted a first-of-its-kind rescue mission to save the crew of an American Apache helicopter that crashed near the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, the military said. The unmanned vessel, powered by artificial intelligence, located the crew who had been stuck for two hours in the waters off the coast of Oman, bringing them to shore, the Wall Street Journal reported. The operation marks the first time a high-tech US Navy drone deployed to the Middle East was used to conduct a rescue mission. The Navy previous deployed a Seahawk medium unmanned surface vessel (MUSV) with an...

A U.S. Army AH-64 Apache attack helicopter went down near the coast of Oman Monday evening while on patrol, with both crew members rescued within two hours in what military officials are describing as a historic first: the first known rescue of downed military personnel by an unmanned surface vessel. U.S. Central Command confirmed Tuesday that the two U.S. Army AH-64 Apache pilots were rescued near the Strait of Hormuz after their helicopter went down near the coast of Oman on Monday evening. The Apache was "patrolling regional waters" when the incident occurred, CENTCOM said. A Task Force 59 unmanned...

President Trump posted several mock-up images of the “drone port” he hopes to build at the top of the proposed White House ballroom over the weekend — while taking a jab at the judge who is trying to delay construction. “The DronePort at the White House Ballroom will be, perhaps, the most sophisticated anywhere in the World!” Trump boasted on Truth Social. “It will safeguard our Nation’s Capital, Washington, D.C., long into the future. “Judge Richard Leon should stop playing games with America’s Security! If anything happens, he will be held responsible for the Death and Destruction caused to our...

Team USA is getting ready to defend its goal against swarming World Cup attackers on the field next month – while Team Fed is deputizing local authorities to fend off swarms of potentially deadly drones in the sky. The US has appropriated $250 million this year to battle “nefarious and unlawful” drone use. “Drones are a big threat now. I think they take it very seriously,” said Rep. Robert Aderholdt (R-Alabama), a House Appropriations subcommittee chairman. “It’s a big deal. We’ve got all of this converging on New Jersey,” added Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.). “It’s a real challenge.” In...

Nearly $870,000 worth of industrial drones capable of dispersing large amounts of liquid chemicals were stolen from a New Jersey company in what could become a "nightmare scenario," according to a new report. Fifteen Ceres Air C31 drones were stolen from CAC International in Harrison, N.J., on March 24, according to The High Side Substack. The drones were allegedly stolen by a delivery driver who duped the company, the report said. The New Jersey State Police recovered the drones on Monday, the agency said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "On April 27th, the New Jersey State Police Cargo...

A United Airlines flight reportedly struck a drone midair over San Diego early Wednesday — as the pilot’s alarming message to air traffic control surfaced online. The Boeing 737, identified as flight 1980 from San Francisco, hit the object at roughly 3,000 feet, according to an air traffic control recording posted to X. The pilot is heard saying the aircraft “hit a drone,” describing it as small, red and shiny. No injuries have been reported.

The U.S. military, which has been responding to Iran’s loitering drone attacks, has finally adopted Ukraine’s air defense technology. As low-cost drones continued to damage high-value military assets, it is interpreted that the U.S. has deployed Ukraine’s combat-proven response system at key Middle Eastern bases. On the 22nd, Reuters reported, citing multiple sources, that the U.S. has deployed Ukraine’s command and control platform at Prince Sultan Airbase in Saudi Arabia, a key military asset in the Middle East, to defend against Iranian drones.… Ukrainian military officers are reported to have visited the base over recent weeks to train U.S. forces...