A Royal Marine marksman successfully disabled a drug smuggler's boat with a precise rifle shot to the engine of the vessel.
The carefully executed shot was taken from within a helicopter flying in reverse over the waters near Iran.
The extraordinary maritime intervention resulted in authorities seizing narcotics worth £35million.
The operation saw the sniper fire a single round from an L121A1 anti-materiel rifle.
The show struck the speedboat's engine as it travelled at 40 knots.
The marksman operated from the side door of a Wildcat helicopter, which flew backwards to create optimal shooting conditions.
The Ministry of Defence confirmed this represented one of the Royal Navy's most spectacular anti-narcotics operations in Middle Eastern waters.
The mission, coordinated from HMS Lancaster, resulted in the interception of three vessels and the confiscation of over 1.5 tonnes of illegal substances.
The carefully executed shot was taken from within a helicopter flying in reverse over the waters near Iran
|UK MOD CROWN
The operation marked the first deployment of British snipers against maritime smugglers in the Gulf region.
Typically, traffickers employ slower vessels that are easier to intercept by boat.
However, due to the high speed of the watercraft, the Royal Marines deployed this unpredictable strategy.
The .50 calibre round fired from the anti-materiel weapon precisely struck its target during the high-speed pursuit.
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The extraordinary maritime intervention resulted in authorities seizing narcotics worth £35million
|UK MOD CROWN
The backwards flight technique provided the marksman with a "steady" shooting position, enabling the exceptional accuracy required for the mission.
This tactical approach has previously been employed in Caribbean waters, where drug runners frequently utilise fast boats to evade capture.
The dramatic intervention concluded an extended maritime pursuit off Iranian coastal waters.
Armed Forces Minister Al Carns, a former Special Forces commando, praised the Royal Navy's "outstanding work" in executing the complex operation.
A Royal Marine marksman successfully disabled a drug smuggler's boat with a precise rifle shot to the engine of the vessel
|UK MOD CROWN
He said: "This was a well planned operation culminating in a surgical shot by a Royal Marines sniper disabling the engine of a vessel traveling at 40 knots. That's excellence at work."
Lieutenant Guy Warry, who piloted the Wildcat helicopter during the mission, described the experience as a career-defining moment.
He said: "Firing on drug running skiffs whilst flying backwards to provide a stable platform for the snipers was definitely a career highlight."
HMS Lancaster's commanding officer, Commander Sam Stephens, expressed pride in his crew's performance during the extended pursuit.
He said: "I'm hugely proud of the team's professionalism, patience, and skill throughout what was a protracted chase."
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