Pentagon-Sent Drone Boats, Patrol Craft and Coastal Missiles KIleShut Down Russian Navy

By Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization

There have been no Russian amphibious assaults from the Black Sea since the opening days of the war when Russia launched an amphibious attack on Odessa, and the Russian Navy has largely remained neutralized or rendered ineffective by Ukrainian land-launched missiles.

One interesting and potentially lesser recognized element of this likely relates to some of the unmanned surface vehicles the Pentagon has sent to Ukraine to help deter, target or surveil Russian Naval assets off of the coast. Ukraine’s border with the Black Sea has pretty much been saved from Russian naval bombardment, and one has to think the Pentagon’s effort to send drone boats has been having a large impact. The Pentagon’s recent support package to Ukraine includes drone boats along with manned patrol boats and land-fired coastal defense weapons such as harpoons and anti-ship missiles. 

Sure enough, the most recent Ukraine security package contains Unmanned Coastal Defenses Vessels, surface drones likely tasked with a wide range of surveillance and targeting missions. Ukrainian coastal-launched anti-ship missiles have reportedly hit Russian warships and there have not been any follow-on amphibious attacks since the opening days of the war.

It is not clear how many unmanned boats are being sent to Ukraine or what exactly their mission scope might be, however it would indeed make sense given the technological maturity of US Navy Unmanned Surface Vehicles which are increasingly able to conduct surveillance, target enemy ships, search for mines and network with one another in support of a fleet of manned ships. Specifics regarding  Ukrainian tactics, weapons technologies and concepts of operation are likely not available for security reasons, yet the existence and arrival of these weapons introduce a number of significant possibilities and the Pentagon has of course discussed and published the platforms it is sending. 

It may be that Russian ships simply cannot operate within firing range of Ukrainian coastal weapons given that unmanned systems can easily operate as targeting “nodes” on the ocean locating and destroying Russian warships. Small fast-drone boats could also provide an early warning to a Russian amphibious attack from coastal waters.

Networked Drone Boats Stop Russian Navy