Surface Forces: Seaborne Terrors
Ezoic
December 5, 2024: 2024: The three operational Ukrainian maritime drones are Sea Baby, Mother, and MAGURA. Sea Baby and Mother were developed by the Ukrainian secret service, or SBU, and the navy. They are used by the 385th Separate Brigade which specializes in naval warfare. MAGURA was developed by the Main Intelligence Directorate project, or GUR, and SpetsTechnoExport, a state-owned firm. At the end of 2023 SBU unveiled an updated Cossack Mother with a claimed top speed of 100 kilometers an hour. Manufacture of these drones is done in underground facilities to avoid Russian missile and guided bomb attacks.
Sea Baby was used in the mid-2023 Kerch Bridge attack and was carrying 850 kg of explosives. MAGURA carries 320 kg of explosives while Mamai carries 450 kg. These drones are no longer used just for delivering explosives against a target, they can also be used for reconnaissance when equipped with video cameras that broadcast what they see back to the drone operator. Some drones have been armed with small rocket launchers. Malyuk has a range of over 700 kilometers, which means they are suitable for operations on the high seas. Endurance is about 60 hours, and top speed is over 70 kilometers an hour. MAGURA has similar characteristics. Mamai was used in the long range attack at the distant naval base at Novorossiysk on Russia’s Black Sea eastern, which is a thousand kilometers from Crimea.
Ukraine has been developing subsurface drones since 2022 and in early 2023 the first one, the Toloka2 TK-150, was introduced. This drone was 2.5 meters long and equipped with a sensor mast that remained above the surface for navigation and to identify targets. Toloka2 can also carry a small explosive warhead. More recently, Ukraine developed the larger Marichka drone that is 6 meters long and one meter in diameter. Ukraine plans for a Western manufacturer to build and weaponize Ukrainian drones.
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