Swarm Attack

A swarm attack is a tactic in which many small, fast craft or unmanned systems strike a larger warship from multiple bearings at once, aiming to saturate its sensors and defensive weapons so that some attackers reach effective range. Closely associated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy fast inshore attack craft in the Strait of Hormuz, it exploits the difficulty of engaging numerous low-signature contacts simultaneously. Drone and unmanned-surface-vessel swarms extend the same concept, driving demand for fast-cycling close-in weapons and counter-UAS layers.