What a 70-kilometre drone range means at sea

Would a 70-kilometre range make fibre-optic drone boats effective at sea?

That is only about 37-38 nautical miles, making nearby ports and chokepoints more plausible targets than ships far offshore.

Seventy kilometres is roughly 37-38 nautical miles, far short of the two hundred nautical miles discussed for offshore operations. Naval operations can span thousands of nautical miles, so a long land-warfare range can still be short at sea. Ports and narrow passages make ship movements more predictable. Hormuz, Singapore, Taiwan, the Kattegat and the Channel illustrate places where the shorter range could matter. Busy shipping lanes also expose a cable to passing vessels, including enormous bulk carriers, while waves create another risk. Iran's preference for mines over drone boats is linked to their effectiveness in these constrained waters. Defensive guns, small-boat escorts and protection of port approaches offer responses to attacks where ships have to follow predictable routes.