Canadian drone expert warns Iranian drone swarms could threaten US carrier strike groups

A Canadian drone systems specialist has warned that Iran’s growing use of low-cost drone swarms could pose a serious threat to major US naval assets, including aircraft carrier strike groups, amid escalating tensions between Tehran and Washington.

Cameron Chell, CEO and co-founder of the drones company Dragonfly, said Iran’s increasing reliance on relatively inexpensive unmanned systems creates an effective form of asymmetric warfare capable of challenging advanced military platforms.

According to Fox News, Chell argued that Iran’s drone capabilities — which he said cost “tens of millions of dollars” — could be used to launch saturation attacks using low-cost warheads and inexpensive launch platforms, potentially overwhelming conventional air and missile defence systems.

Dragonfly, based in Vancouver, develops drone solutions for sectors including public safety, agriculture, industrial inspections and mapping.

Chell said Iran has built its drone threat through remotely piloted aircraft designed to carry out intensive, high-volume strikes against technologically sophisticated systems, describing such tactics as a significant challenge for traditional naval defences.