Naval Drones

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Sea-Drone 88 â Redefining Marine Patrol & Border Defense.

â The Sea-Drone 88 is a personal concept project by the author, unrelated to any existing OEM or manufacturer. Could a personal watercraft shaped drone redefine border surveillance? What if coastal security could be handled without putting personnel in harmâs way â and without making a sound? The Se
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Regards,
 
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First fighter taken out by marine drone.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NVbCIx3a3w

https://twitter.com/x/status/1918585872854786217
View: https://x.com/NOELreports/status/1918585872854786217

2 Su-30s it seems.

www.twz.com

Two Russian Su-30 Flankers Downed By AIM-9s Fired From Drone Boats: Ukrainian Intel Boss

The event marks the first time drone boats downed fighters and the first successful use of AIM-9 missiles to take down any aircraft via drone boat.
www.twz.com www.twz.com

www.navalnews.com

World First: Ukrainian Maritime Drone Shoots Down Russian Flanker Jet - Naval News

A Ukrainian maritime drone (USV: uncrewed surface vessel) has achieved a world-first, shooting down a Russian jet
www.navalnews.com www.navalnews.com

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www.twz.com

AIM-9 Sidewinder-Armed Ukrainian Drone Boat: What We Know

The legacy AIM-9 is a highly-proven and available weapon that has a ship-launched past, but doing so from Ukraine's drone boats presents interesting challenges.
www.twz.com www.twz.com
 
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NMaude said:
Isn't that supposed to be quite sensitive?
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Very much so. My inorganic chem class was making an organic metallic substance with molybdenum, and my best guess is that it formed an unstable metal salt. The absolute worst case for stability is a nitro group carbon ring salt that exothermicly disassociates. That’s basically like mixing strike anywhere matches with gravel and shaking it. I am amazed no one ever noticed that mixing the orgo lab chem waste with inorganic chem waste was problematic for decades.

ETA: the orgo class was using DNP for a test, I forgot which (I did it too the year before), which is probably the most touchy chemical any undergraduate has ever worked with. Our inorganic class chemical waste included concentrated nitric acid, which like kicked at least few DNPs to TNPs, and then we added metal to the same mix. The heat from the salt disassociating likely set off the nitro detonation.

ETA2: DNP was specifically being used to test for the presence of ketones in the orgo class.
 
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Defense Updates has put out a video about the Magura-7 drone that shot down two Su-30SM Flanker-Hs:


Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR) reportedly shot down two Su-30SM multirole fighters with AIM-9 Sidewinder infrared-guided air-to-air missiles fired by Magura-7 drone boats.This marks the first time fighter aircraft has been downed by drone boats and the first use of the AIM-9 from a drone boat for a kill.
The Su-30SM, the aircraft targeted in the attack, is a twin-engine, multi-role fighter jet developed by Russia's Sukhoi Aviation Corporation. A modernized variant of the Su-27 series, it entered service in the 1990s and is designed for air superiority, ground assault, and maritime strike operations.
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The Ukrainian Defense Ministry said: "For the first time in history, a warplane was destroyed by a sea drone ... War at sea is entering a new era.
"Viewers may note , this is not the first time Ukraine has said it shot down a Russian aerial asset with a missile fired by a drone boat, but that was not a fighter jet.
In December, Ukraine claimed it used an AA-11 fired from an uncrewed surface vessel (USV) to down a Russian Mi-8 Hip helicopter over the Black Sea.
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In this video, Defense Updates analyzes how Ukrainian Magura-7 drone boat managed to down Russian Su-30 Flanker?
#defenseupdates #sukhoi30SMdown #ukrainerussiawar
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Chapters:
0:00 TITLE
00:11 INTRODUCTION
01:34 SPONSORSHIP - NordVPN
02:08 RUSSIAN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
03:26 MAGURA V7
05:26 AIM-9
07:56 ANALYSIS
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Scott Kenny said:
How did a Flanker get close enough to be engaged by a surface-launched Sidewinder?!?
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Combine arms Tactics.

Bet you anything that theres a Patriot or S radar on shore that ping Him, Cue him diving to the deck to get under the radar horizon.

Meanwhile on the Sea.

Drone dual wielding Sidewinders: "Surprise MUTHERF***!"

Text book land ADA tactics used for sea. The Few Big Scary SAM forces the craft down low into the short range more numerous Sams killzone. Vietnam use this to great effect in Nam and it still useful today if you can't into SEAD/DEAD tactics to break it.
 
Josh_TN said:
The Su-30s engage the USVs with 30mm. So they are well within envelope.
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True but the pilot has to be able to spot them first and in this scenario he's rather distracted being illuminated by a Ukrainian land-based SAM-battery or two.
 
NMaude said:
True but the pilot has to be able to spot them first and in this scenario he's rather distracted being illuminated by a Ukrainian land-based SAM-battery or two.
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I doubt there is any land based radar involved; the distance is too long for low-medium altitude detection and the complexity of forwarding this information to a disposable drone is daunting. I think it is just easy to see the aircraft when it fired; apparently some unarmed USVs were used as bait.
 
Josh_TN said:
I doubt there is any land based radar involved; the distance is too long for low-medium altitude detection and the complexity of forwarding this information to a disposable drone is daunting. I think it is just easy to see the aircraft when it fired; apparently some unarmed USVs were used as bait.
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Not that daunting at all with it depending on how the system is set up.

Very easily see Ukraine using pre determine areas that both the Sam and Drone operators know so that way the Sam folks only need to say.

"Target in Grid E42"

Causing the Drone Operators sending a signal to the drones in that area to go Hot and start searching. Or rather Cool in activing the Sidewinder seeker coolant pumps.

Can see that even more likely over compete automatication like you are seemly thinking. Safer, more reliable, less likely for it to go stupid...
 
I suspect there is still man in the loop; I just doubt that the USVs are receiving any external target data.The remote operators however might very well be given information from AD units, assuming any way available. But Su-30 gun runs are probably well below the radar horizon.
 
www.navalnews.com

Danish Armed Forces to Begin Operational Testing of Saildrone USVs - Naval News

In the summer of 2025, the Danish Armed Forces will conduct an operational trial of four USVs from Saildrone in Danish waters.
www.navalnews.com www.navalnews.com

www.navalnews.com

IAI & HAI Sign Strategic MoU to Offer the Hellenic Navy Advanced BlueWhale Autonomous Submarine System - Naval News

During the DEFEA exhibition, IAI and HAI signed a MoU to offer IAI's BlueWhale autonomous submarine system to the Hellenic Navy.
www.navalnews.com www.navalnews.com

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfjUU4w_FHQ
 
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Scott Kenny said:
In that case, they deserve to get their butts shot off.
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Well it is/was probably viewed as a cost effective way of engaging cheap, numerous platforms with something on hand. Though I would think helo or Su-25 more suitable (certainly the former are also used). I am guessing that either the sensors of the Su-30 are necessary to hunt USVs or else the Su-30s are already on station for some other mission (CAP?) and get called in to engage the targets. But I cannot think of any weapon that is a good match for small swarming drones in Russian inventory. The U.S. has been struggling with this and seems to have settled on guided FFRs and older versions of AIM-9. I suspect JAGM would be a candidate once it is integrated with more fixed wing platforms. But I cannot think of a Russian weapon that is a good match - there are some guided weapons that would be overkill, but nothing small.
 
Josh_TN said:
But I cannot think of any weapon that is a good match for small swarming drones in Russian inventory. The U.S. has been struggling with this and seems to have settled on guided FFRs and older versions of AIM-9. I suspect JAGM would be a candidate once it is integrated with more fixed wing platforms. But I cannot think of a Russian weapon that is a good match - there are some guided weapons that would be overkill, but nothing small.
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True.

I'm not aware of any Russian equivalents to APKWS heads for their 57mm or 130mm rockets, and a 57mm APKWS would be just about ideal for small USVs.
 
It looks like after the considerable success Ukraine has had with its' drone-boat fleet in the Black Sea the USN is ramping up its' plans for its' own drone-boats, from Sandboxx:


The US Navy is fielding a veritable army of what I can only really describe as autonomous drone swarm speedboats capable of traversing the open ocean at highway speeds, while offering enough range to escort carrier strike groups, and enough payload to sink enemy ships.
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So let's talk about these automated warfighters, and why they may represent the best bang for the U.S. Navy's buck that we've seen surface in years.
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Forest Green said:
www.navalnews.com

MEKO S-X ASW Drone Shown By TKMS At IMDEX 2025

German shipbuilder has shown its unique MEKO S-X ASW uncrewed surface vehicle as a model at IMDEX 2025 in Singapore.
www.navalnews.com www.navalnews.com
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That's a very interesting shape to the submerged hull. @covert_shores what can you tell us about that, hydrodynamically?

I'm not sure about the speed capabilities, unless that propulsor duct is focusing on maximizing pressure on the blades. An open prop will cavitate like crazy above about 14 knots on the surface.

I really like that it's got a VDS and probably a hull sonar, so it can listen for subs snorkeling or otherwise lurking at Periscope Depth, while also being able to get a sensor below the 200ft Thermocline to listen or actively ping for subs transiting.

My main concern operational concern would be the ability to maintain depth, avoiding taking tons of green water over the sail/bridge and more importantly, the engine air inlet!
 
mickryan.substack.com

Future War and Naval Drone Carriers

A quick assessment on the implications of South Korea's shift from building a F35 carrier to a platform for the launch and C2 of uncrewed aerial systems. Is this part of an accelerating trend?
mickryan.substack.com mickryan.substack.com

Future War and Naval Drone Carriers
A quick assessment on the implications of South Korea's shift from building a F35 carrier to a platform for the launch and C2 of uncrewed aerial systems. Is this part of an accelerating trend?
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Grey Havoc said:
www.navalnews.com

Saronic Unveils Two New Autonomous Surface Vessels: Mirage and Cipher - Naval News

Saronic today announced the expansion of its family of Autonomous Surface Vessels (ASVs) with the addition of two new models: the 40-foot Mirage and the 60-foot Cipher.
www.navalnews.com www.navalnews.com
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More on Saronic's plans:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jf0QnvSKZng


www.saronic.com

Home

Providing naval and maritime forces with the most intelligent Autonomous Surface Vessels available.
www.saronic.com www.saronic.com
 
Another menacing toy is going to be added to the Korean Navy. (UMUUV) Upright Multi-purpose Unmanned Underwater Vehicle development confirmed. It is a special sea drone the size of a heavy torpedo, and it is said to be equipped with cruise missiles and suicide drones. The concept is that the submarines spray a large number of UMUUVs into the sea, and then the UMUUVs receive orders from their superiors and fire their weapons all at once.They have a new type of self-propelled sea mine for the KSS-III, but they decided to develop a special heavy torpedo. If LIGNex1's self-propelled mines are weapons that destroy submarines and warships deep in enemy territory, the UMUUV is a weapon that launches a surprise attack on inland from far away in the sea.So, the UMUUV can launch Hyunmoo-III long-range cruise missiles...Another brilliant firepower solution...
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https://twitter.com/x/status/1925524067438010435
View: https://x.com/mason_8718/status/1925524067438010435
 
Sandboxx has a new video out about Anduril new line of AI-controlled submarines and torpedoes:


The sky is not enough for Anduril’s design team, and soon, they could bring about a seismic shift in the world’s largest warfighting domain: the open ocean, with their school-bus-sized drone submarine known as the DIVE-XL, and a new bevy of AI enabled undersea drones and low-cost torpedoes they’ve dubbed Copperhead.
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Let's run these platforms down, and the U.S. Navy's problems that they could help solve.
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Article highlighting some Taiwanese plans, specifically a two-day demonstration:

www.twz.com

Taiwan To Hold Major Drone Boat Test Exercise As It Falls Behind In Fielding This Critical Capability

A demonstration set for next month seeks to help shape Taiwan's future sea drone plans.
www.twz.com www.twz.com

Taiwan, Late To The Drone Boat Game, To Hold Major Capability Test
A demonstration set for next month seeks to evaluate and enhance Taiwan's sea drone production as it lags behind fielding these critical capabilities.
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U.S. Special Forces Train with USVs in the Philippines
www.navalnews.com

U.S. Special Forces Train with USVs in the Philippines - Naval News

U.S. special forces trained with USVs in the Philippines amid increasing bilateral defense cooperation between Washington and Manila.
www.navalnews.com www.navalnews.com

NATO tests unmanned surface vessels in the Baltic Sea​

www.navalnews.com

NATO tests unmanned surface vessels in the Baltic Sea - Naval News

NATO standing naval forces will conduct a series of capability demonstrations of uncrewed vessels in the Baltic Sea throughout the month of June
www.navalnews.com www.navalnews.com
 
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