A notable upgrade was the “improved seaworthiness” that ensured she could sail in waves nearly five feet high.
Drones are capable of delivering heavy explosives weighing 860 kg / photo SBU
Explosive drone boats, one of the most innovative weapons in Ukraine’s battle against the Russian Black Sea Fleet, have become an even more serious threat over time.
The general of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said that these systems had undergone major upgrades during the war and were now “stronger, more efficient and deadlier” than they were before.
“In 2024, we have completely different drone parameters,” said General Ivan Lukashevich, whose team has conducted several drone operations.
“Especially compared to those that we first tested in October 2022 to attack Russian warships in the Sevastopol Bay. We realized the shortcomings of these first projects, but the manufacturer could not foresee them, because at that time there was no experience in creating such high-tech drones,” he said.
The first modification to the Sea Baby that Lukashevich introduced was to increase the size of the warhead. According to the Ukrainian government, the drones are capable of delivering a heavy explosive payload weighing almost 860 kg. The next notable upgrade was “improved seaworthiness”, ensuring the ability to sail in waves almost five feet high.
The third improvement was that Sea Babies could travel twice the distance between Odessa, a port city in southern Ukraine, and Sevastopol on the southwestern coast of Crimea. The drones’ range is now over 950 km, making many more Russian targets possible.
Ukraine also “wanted to make them reusable so they would be cheaper and more efficient,” Lukashevich said.
In addition to physically upgrading its Sea Baby drones, SBU also operates multiple drone manufacturing and testing sites. There are constant redeployments, even special operations are carried out from different command posts in different areas – all in order to get ahead of the Russians.
Destruction of the Russian fleet using drones – details
In September, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky confirmed that our country had managed to establish its own production of maritime drones. He announced that Ukraine became the first country that was able to form such a fleet due to a forced war with Russia.
Thanks to the successful attacks, the SBU actually changed the philosophy of naval operations. Thus, in October 2022, SBU naval drones attacked enemy ships in Sevastopol Bay. Then four military vessels were damaged, including the frigate Admiral Makarov. And this year, Security Service drones hit the Samum and Pavel Derzhavin rocket carriers, the SIG tanker, and the Olenegorsky Gornyak landing ship.
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2024-03-01 22:41:00
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