Ukraine’s robot boats are rewriting the rules of naval warfare
Strategists around the world have taken note of the changing dynamics at play in the Black Sea and the implications for flashpoints elsewhere.
JON HEMLER and DEREK BISACCIO,FORECAST INTERNATIONAL | JUNE 17, 2024
Ukraine’s use of aerial drones and robot boats are hampering Russian naval operations in the Black Sea and rewriting the playbook for war planners concerned with maritime chokepoints.
The turn to uncrewed weapons was born of necessity. In 2014, Kyiv lost its its naval headquarters at Sevastopol and a good portion of its fleet to Russian annexation. Within weeks of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, the Ukrainian Navy was effectively out of commission.
But instead of ceding the maritime dimension of the conflict, Ukraine adapted, relying heavily on missiles and, increasingly, drones. Both the Navy and the MoD’s Main Directorate of Intelligence have employed a legion of uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) and uncrewed air vehicles (UAVs) to hit Russian targets, often pairing the drones with missiles to saturate Russian defenses around Crimea.
https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2024/06/ukraines-usvs-write-new-rules-asymmetric-naval-warfare/397430/
