Unmanned Maritime Combat: Is the Magura drone foolish, and the "Water Walker" drone excellent?

The Kaliningrad ship is building domestically produced unmanned boats with unique capabilities.

Author: Vitaly Orlov

Ukraine has shown off its strength in the Black Sea by launching multiple attacks on Russian Federation Navy ships using the reportedly self-developed Magura V5 unmanned boat (BEC). However, authoritative experts point out that this equipment only involves assembly by Ukrainian agents, with all components coming from the United States and the UK.

Clearly, Western arms dealers would not give us such a "gift," so we must fully rely on independent research and development to respond. And Russia's response seems quite impressive.

Russian scientists and engineers are increasingly actively developing unmanned boat (BEC) projects of various functional purposes and types.

A few days ago, researchers displayed a series of new multi-functional marine drone samples belonging to the unified "Water Walker" project.

Its core feature lies in its unique modular architecture, which allows it to be equipped with almost any device, thereby greatly expanding the scope of mission execution.

In particular, information disclosure indicates that the "Water Walker" project has developed two completely new unmanned boat samples with starkly different technical parameters and combat potential. An anonymous source within the Russian Defense Ministry revealed the main technical and usage data, but the appearance of the unmanned boats remains under wraps.

Experts at the Baltic Higher Naval Academy (Kaliningrad) have been designated as developers of the promising modular unmanned boats. The main goal of the "Water Walker" project is to create ultra-small and small-displacement unmanned boats capable of carrying various equipment.

To achieve this goal, both samples adopt a modular architecture, and this principle applies not only to target equipment but also to the overall structure of the unmanned boats.

Experts at the Baltic Higher Naval Academy have identified multiple equipment options, enabling unmanned boats to perform transportation functions, solve anti-mine defense tasks, or carry equipment for searching underwater targets. Clearly, as the "Water Walker" project progresses further, the model series and functional scope of the new unmanned boats will expand significantly.

Now let's talk about the technical details of the modular unmanned boats. Plans call for building unmanned platforms of different sizes: ultra-small (1.4 meters long) and small (2.5 meters long) categories.

The modular structure means there are multiple compartments that together form a complete watercraft. Each modular compartment is equipped with specialized and general systems and machinery.

By combining specific modules, unmanned boats with the characteristics, functions, and capabilities required for specific tasks can be assembled.

Evidently, one module must carry navigation and communication equipment, including an operating system with remote control. Driving and other critical processes may have a certain degree of automation.

The payload module of the "Water Walker" project unmanned boats has undoubtedly piqued the interest of experts. Multiple such compartments are currently in preparation, and their number will undoubtedly increase since they determine the actual application potential of the project.

No matter what the specific configuration is, these modules enable "heavy-duty" unmanned boats to deliver a payload of 40 kilograms to the target, while lighter unmanned boats can carry a payload of 6.5 kilograms.

Among the disclosed modules, the most basic is the transport module, which is likely to take the form of an ordinary hull and have a dedicated cargo storage space. Although the specific dimensions of this module have not been disclosed, analysis of the sample size and claimed load capacity reveals significant limitations.

Another disclosed module is the sonar station compartment equipped with a towed antenna. This new "Water Walker" unmanned boat is expected to be used for searching underwater targets and environmental detection, which is essential for combating combat submarines and anti-submarine defense tasks.

The "heavy-duty" version of the new unmanned boat can serve as a carrier for unmanned submersibles, provided that these unmanned submersibles (NPA) have corresponding dimensions and displacement, such as equipment for searching and clearing mines.

In summary, theoretically, unmanned boats can execute a wide range of combat and auxiliary tasks while carrying various payloads. This concept can be realized through multiple technical solutions, as evidenced by the series of forward-looking projects in Russia's defense sector today.

It remains to be seen how the final research and development results of the "Water Walker" project will turn out. However, it is certain that the project will not only accumulate necessary experience and effectively validate the prospect concept but also find the broadest practical application in future projects.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7508950438030361107/

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