IRGC mosquito fleet maintains threat amid elite fragmentation - Think Tank

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) continues to maintain a potent asymmetric naval threat in the Strait of Hormuz despite heavy losses to Iran’s conventional naval forces, a Hudson Institute report said.

The report said the IRGC relies on so-called “mosquito fleet” tactics, including swarm operations, naval mines and drones, to preserve its ability to disrupt maritime traffic in the Gulf.

"Many of the IRGC Navy’s fast-attack crafts are inexpensive, lightly built, highly mobile, and often armed with short-range anti-ship missiles, rockets, and heavy machine guns. Some vessels are even configured as explosive-laden suicide crafts," the report said.

It added that while Iran’s conventional navy has been significantly degraded, its asymmetric capabilities remain largely intact.