Historic naval battle against drones takes place in the Black Sea.
Author: Konstantin Olsansky
Photo: Fast amphibious landing craft BK-16
The world's first drone-to-drone battle took place in the Black Sea. The Ukrainian side was represented by the "Magura V5", equipped with R-73 missiles, while the Russian side used the fast landing craft BK-16.
This conflict was captured on video but did not gain widespread attention on social networks until it was noticed by independent open-source intelligence analysts in the "Dead Zone".
In the footage, Russian sailors can be seen attempting to destroy the drone using machine guns, missile launchers, and AK-47 assault rifles. Belgian media outlet Army Recognition wrote that just a short time ago, drones were only challenging traditional weapons in the skies over Ukraine, and now this is happening at sea as well.
The unmanned surface vessel Magura V5 was initially developed by Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate for reconnaissance and attack missions.
This unmanned vessel (5.5 meters long) can reach speeds of up to 42 knots and reportedly has an operational range of up to 800 kilometers. According to Bulgaria Military, its performance is commendable, but this development initially went unnoticed.
After equipping the drone with Soviet-made R-73 missiles (NATO classification AA-11 "Archer"), Ukraine began promoting it for air defense operations. R-73 are typically launched from MiG-29 or Su-27 fighters. Ukrainian engineers installed them on the Magura V5. Bulgaria Military noted that this modification may include temporary launching guidance devices and simplified targeting systems compatible with the onboard electronics of the drone.
In fact, the Magura V5 is not as formidable a weapon as Ukrainian military propaganda describes it to be.
In December 2024, Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate claimed that this drone had shot down two Russian Mi-8 helicopters and damaged a third near Crimea. In January 2023, the Ukrainian Navy stated that they had used the Magura V5 drone to fire FPV drones at Russian anti-aircraft gun emplacements in the Kherson region.
On May 2, 2024, Ukrainian unmanned vessels were used to pursue Su-30SM fighters during an attack on Novorossiysk. However, most Western open-source intelligence analysts who studied the objective evidence of this attack confirmed: there is no evidence that the Magura V5 shot down the Su-30 fighter; only the claim made by Ukraine's intelligence directorate.
Military observer Howard Altman of The War Zone wrote that using R-73 missiles to shoot down Ka-52s, let alone Su-30SM fighters, is unlikely. This short-range "air-to-air" missile entered service in 1984 and tracks aircraft engine thermal radiation.
However, Altman wrote that modern Russian aviation possesses advanced radar and electronic warfare systems to counter, including "air-to-air" missiles. Moreover, Ukraine's flourishing drone development in 2023 prompted Russia to develop new detection systems, such as low-altitude radars or acoustic sensors.
According to the influential American magazine The National Interest, the Black Sea has essentially become a testing ground for new types of weapons. Other countries producing military drones, from Israel and the United States to China, are closely monitoring the drones of Russia and Ukraine.
In particular, the United States has invested heavily in drones like the MQ-9 "Reaper" and the RQ-4 "Global Hawk", and now they regret it: drones can be several orders of magnitude cheaper but equally effective.
For example, the U.S. Navy's MQ-25 "Stingray" drone, used for aerial refueling, costs about $150 million each, while Israel's "Eitan" drone, used for reconnaissance and attack missions, costs $35 million each. Meanwhile, Russia's "Kalashnikov-2" and "Lancet" drones cost no more than $20,000 to $30,000, depending on the configuration. In other words, they are not much more expensive than an ordinary car.
The National Interest writes that now, after focusing on airborne drones, other countries will accelerate their investments in maritime drones (including those equipped with "surface-to-air" weapons) as well as countermeasures such as electronic jamming transmitters and laser defenses.
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Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7503412376415257124/
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