In the first-known naval engagement between uncrewed vessels, a Ukrainian robot boat sank a Russian opponent in the Black Sea.
The action between the remote-controlled uncrewed surface vessels (USVs), or sea drones, took place earlier this month. A video released by the Ukrainian Navy shows its USV, identified as a Sargan-3000, firing a 12.7-millimetre heavy machine gun at the Russian vessel, which appears to be of the Orcan type, until it sinks.
Both sea drones are propelled by water jets. The Sargan is around 7 metres long with a top speed of over 80 kilometres per hour, while the Orcan is about 5 metres long and can reach 64 km/h.
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This is the first-known clash of its type in the history of naval warfare, according to independent naval expert . But it didn’t come as a surprise.
“It was inevitable that there would be USV-on-USV combat,” says Sutton. “We have seen the same in the air, and on the ground.”
Ukraine developed USVs after early in 2022 to prevent its capture. In October 2022, Ukraine carried out a successful attack with seven sea drones, damaging a Russian frigate and a minesweeper at the Sevastopol naval base in Crimea.
Since then, Ukraine has moved from improvised USVs based on speedboats and jet-powered watercraft to advanced designs, including the Magura and Sea Baby series. In conjunction with shore-based anti-ship missiles and aerial drones, Ukraine’s uncrewed vessels have sunk or damaged a third of the Russian Black Sea fleet. The remainder is now largely confined to port behind booms and other defences.
Initially, Ukraine’s USVs carried explosive charges for one-way attacks. More advanced versions are now armed with surface-to-air missiles, with one Ukrainian USV , in 2024. Others are fitted with machine guns and unguided rockets. Some Ukrainian USVs are miniature aircraft carriers, launching aerial drones.
From 2024, the Russians copied Ukraine, building small, fast USVs with explosive warheads to attack ports, bridges and shipping. The Russian Orcan in this month’s action was likely to have been heading towards the Ukrainian port city of Odesa as part of a campaign targeting cargo ships.
“It was a small vessel with an explosive charge and no gun turret, intended for an offensive operation ramming a larger vessel,” says Sutton. “The Ukrainian one was armed with a machine gun, showing that it had a more defensive role. So, it was to be expected, although not guaranteed, that the Ukrainian one would win this duel.”
Sutton says the action is likely to drive further evolution of USVs on both sides. Just as helicopters being used against sea drones led to the design of new models equipped with surface-to-air missiles, attack USVs may start carrying machine guns or other defensive weaponry, or travel with escorts.
This first robot naval action is unlikely to be the last. “Probably in future we will see Ukrainian USVs interdicted by Russian ones close to Russian naval bases,” says Sutton.
Naval experts believe the Black Sea campaign is a special case, saying that its lessons may not apply in other theatres of operation where actions take place over much greater ranges and timescales. But the continued rise of robot boats is another sign of warfare’s changing face.
