Ukraine's intel shows two types of unmanned drones for Black Sea operations

Militarnyi reports.

The Ukrainian Defense Intelligence is developing its own flotilla of unmanned offshore platforms adapted for launching kamikaze drones. Such drones are capable of effectively hitting both land and maneuverable sea targets.

The movie showed two types of new maritime drones that differ from the already known Magura V5 model. One of them is equipped with a traditional boat engine with propellers and has four containers for FPV drones. 

“Our maritime platform carries 500 to 3,000 kilograms of weapons of various types - air, surface, and underwater. The system uses the latest technology, combined with NATO-style artificial intelligence,” says a special forces reconnaissance officer involved in the use of this type of drone.

The other drone carrier, although shown in lower-quality footage, has a different hull shape and a launcher for four airplane-type drones.

There is a high probability that this particular drone model was used by the Prymary unit of the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence to deliver strikes on the Crimean coast. In particular, in April, the drone hit several Russian boats and a Tor-M2 anti-aircraft system.

Both platforms are equipped with Starlink satellite Internet antennas, which significantly increases their range. For the first time, a control station with an operator's chair, an aircraft steering wheel and a speed control lever was also demonstrated. The steering wheel has a number of function buttons, in particular, probably to control the nose roll.

The operator receives images from day, night, and thermal imaging cameras through augmented reality glasses that combine several angles into a single panorama. The image is duplicated on a monitor for other officers at the control center.

According to the intelligence officers, the drones open up new tactical possibilities not only for pinpoint strikes but also for covering large-scale naval operations, including landings of sabotage groups behind enemy lines.

• Fighters from Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence destroyed two Russian Su-30 fighter jets using AIM-9 Sidewinder infrared-guided air-to-air missiles. The missiles were launched from Magura-7 unmanned maritime platforms.