KYIV (Reuters) – Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) has unveiled the latest version of its “sea baby” naval drone that it says can operate at distances of over 1,500 km and carry a payload of up to 2,000 kg, approximately double the previous limit.

The improvements mark the latest development in unmanned weapons systems that play an increasingly important role in the war with Russia, as both sides race to stay ahead in drone warfare on land, in the air and at sea.

Aerial drones have dominated attention for the sheer numbers deployed and their destructive power, but Ukraine has had considerable military success in the Black Sea using what are essentially small, fast, unmanned boats.

It has largely neutralized Russia’s Black Sea fleet, destroying several ships and forcing others away from the Crimean peninsula and far from Ukraine’s coast as Kyiv seeks to keep key civilian trade routes to Europe open.

“We need our commercial fleet to sail, to work, to keep the economy breathing, so that the Russians cannot influence it,” SBU Brigadier General Ivan Lukashevych told Reuters at a recent presentation of Ukraine’s latest sea drones.

Beyond “kamikaze” drones, Ukraine’s sea drones can also carry remote-controlled weapons systems including multiple rocket launchers and guns for use against enemy amphibious operations or other targets, Mr. Lukashevych said.

At a demonstration to journalists in an undisclosed location, two grey-colored naval drones mounted with rocket launchers and guns were on display. One was taken on a test run on the water, controlled by an operator on shore watching via a live stream.

Ukraine’s security service said that various iterations of its sea drones had struck 11 Russian ships since the full-scale war began in early 2022. “Sea baby” drones also enabled previous Ukrainian attacks on a strategic bridge linking Crimea to the Russian mainland.

Rest of the World Watching

Other countries are paying close attention to the drone battles in the Black Sea, drawing lessons and examining whether they can be applied to waters elsewhere.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday that Ukraine currently needed half of the 4,000 naval drones it produces.

“Why not sell those 2,000 to partners? That’s normal. Let companies sell,” Mr. Zelenskyy told journalists in a discussion about Kyiv’s potential drone deal with the United States.

Reflecting what is happening with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), another key objective of Ukraine’s naval drone program is to develop machines that can intercept and destroy enemy drones.

“We know that Russia is trying to copy Ukrainian naval drones and, to the extent possible, is already using them against Ukrainian territory,” Mr. Lukashevych said.

“That is why, a year ago...[SBU head] Vasyl Maliuk initiated the idea of creating destroyers of naval surface drones based on the ‘sea baby’ unmanned platforms.”

Despite Ukraine’s success in the Black Sea, the development of naval drones means port defenses will have to be built up alongside offensive capabilities.

“This is a clear signal of the need to strengthen the protection of all port infrastructure,” said Kyiv-based military analyst Serhii Kuzan.

“In particular, we are talking about the use of buoy barriers, increasing the number of electronic warfare [defenses] and so on.”

Both sides in the conflict have developed electronic jamming devices capable of scrambling enemy drones, which in turn has forced them to innovate further in order to bypass them.

Mr. Lukashevych said both drones on display had been tested in battle. Kyiv tries to prevent Russia from capturing technology in Ukrainian “sea baby” drones, he said, by introducing a self-destruct mechanism in case of the threat of enemy capture.

The primary goal was, however, to bring drones back to Ukrainian shores for repeated use.