The Russian Navy will soon induct a ship-launched kamikaze drone to help fend off rising Ukrainian marine drone attacks on naval vessels.
Capable of being launched from the decks of ships and boats, the unidentified drone can strike both land and sea targets, Russia’s state-owned Izvestia revealed, citing sources.
The Russian military considered developing a ship-launched kamikaze drone following a 2021 military exercise featuring the deployment of loitering munitions to provide cover to landing marines on a coast, Izvestia wrote in November 2021.
The deployment was considered particularly effective against “saboteur-operated light boats and motorboats,” the outlet wrote before the Ukraine war, citing experts.
Hard to Operate
Despite its advantages, military experts say that the technology is challenging to master due to the lack of landmarks in the sea.
“The main difference between land and sea is that there are no landmarks on the sea surface,” Izvestia quoted military expert Dmitry Boltenkov as saying.
“And it’s very difficult to control flight over water.”
He added that the platform’s advantages are numerous, including the capability to strike Ukrainian sea targets without venturing near the shore.
Ukraine Marine Drone Attacks
Several Russian vessels have been sunk or damaged by Ukrainian marine attack drones since the war started, forcing Moscow to replace the Russian Navy chief.
The Russian Black Sea Fleet retreated due to the attacks, providing accessible shipping routes to Ukraine and denying Russian forces the chance to conduct round-the-clock battleground surveillance.