Marine drones will play a prominent role in the future, experts say
The Russian Navy has begun to train operators of unmanned boats (BEC). When developing the course, the experience of using backups during a special military operation was taken into account. Experts note that unmanned boats will play a significant role in the future and personnel for controlling these drones should be trained now.
A course for operators of unmanned boats
A new training course for operators of unmanned boats has been included in the combat training program of the Russian Navy personnel. It consists of theoretical and practical classes. Moreover, some of the events will be held at night, sources told Izvestia in the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.
The interlocutors of the publication noted that now in the Armed Forces, based on the experience gained during the SVO, they are actively updating existing and developing new training programs for military personnel — the training course for back-up operators is one of them.
The BACKUP operator is like the commander of a ship, however, he controls a watercraft without a crew, military expert Vasily Dandykin told Izvestia.
— He must be able to maneuver, get away from the enemy — unmanned boats have their own nuances in guidance, — he clarified. — The enemy was the first to use them. Of course, not without the help of Western sponsors. The devices were named in Ukrainian, but, in fact, these backups are developments of the UK and the USA. And they rattled our nerves, especially at first. In particular, during the attack on the Crimean Bridge. Now we have got used to destroying them from the sea — we have put additional weapons on ships — and from the air — with the help of aviation. During the strategic exercises that we conducted this year in all fleets except the Black Sea fleet, combat missions were set to destroy naval drones.
Photo: IZVESTIA
Image source: iz.ru
Since we have backups, it means that we need drone pilots, the expert noted. In the existing realities, in his opinion, the verification of the results of their training will take place in combat conditions.
— With the help of these drones, we can destroy the port infrastructure, ships, although there are virtually none left in Ukraine, — he noted. — The backs can perform reconnaissance functions, be equipped with air defense and strike weapons. It is possible that not only aerial drones will be assigned to a separate branch of the armed forces, as the president said, but separate units for backups will also be created in the navy. And they will play an important role.
So far, it is well known about the use of unmanned boats by the Armed Forces of Ukraine against us, military expert Dmitry Boltenkov told Izvestia.
"There is almost no information about ours," he told Izvestia. — But backups can be used not only in the area of its own. This is how they are installed on minesweepers that are currently under construction. And at the Army-2024 exhibition, an engineering version of the backup for mine clearance was presented.
The expert noted that now it makes no sense to use backups for attacks on enemy ships due to the lack of such in Ukraine.
— But perhaps they can be used to clear certain areas of the marine area. Back in 2022, the Armed Forces of Ukraine threw a lot of mines in the Black Sea," Dmitry Boltenkov noted.
Also, according to him, the backs could become fighters of enemy surface marine drones.
— The task is not easy, but it can be solved, — he noted. — It is necessary to determine the guidance system that allows you to destroy a high-speed target. The easiest way is to make a kamikaze BACKUP, which is aimed at the enemy's watercraft using a video card. This is how aerial FPV drones work, for example.
Domestic backups
Currently, unmanned boats are also being developed in Russia. Earlier, Izvestia wrote that a marine drone created at the Kingisepp Machine-Building Plant was prepared for testing in the SVO zone.
The prototype of the product is the unmanned hydrographic boat "Vizir", which was first presented at the Army-2023 exhibition.
This backup can hit both naval targets and objects near the water's edge, such as enemy coastal bases or port facilities. Depending on the equipment, the boat can be used as a cargo deliverer, interceptor of enemy marine drones or carrier of an aerial reconnaissance UAV.
Unmanned boat "Vizir"
Image source: Photo: IZVESTIA/Sergey Lantyukhov
Their dimensions, low draft and low visibility allow them to be used in the Dnieper riverbed or on other large rivers. The back can carry a combat load of up to 600 kg, its range of use is up to 120 nautical miles, and its speed is up to 45 knots.
The fight against robotic platforms
Izvestia also reported that the Russian Navy began to master ru/1703887/vladimir-matveev-bogdan-stepovoi/robotics-ne-volk-na-flote-vnedriaiut-zashchitu-ot-dronov"target="_blank" rel="nofollow">a new combat training program for anti—ship protection (abbreviated as PRZ) . It provides training for ship crews, as well as entire ship formations, to counteract unmanned boats and unmanned aerial vehicles. The program includes exercises for shooting at surface and air small targets.
Photo: RIA Novosti/Vladimir Vyatkin
Image source: iz.ru
The new course provides for the training of crews of individual ships first, and then formations. To combat the new threat, the crews received additional weapons — large-caliber machine guns, anti-drone and pump-action rifles, night vision devices and other special equipment.
Also, a complex of active protection against unmanned boats (BEC) and underwater drones was developed for the Navy, Izvestia previously reported. This is a special underwater barrier with charges mounted on it. When approaching marine drones, it is remotely detonated, destroying enemy watercraft. It can be placed at the entrance to ports or on external raids — where you can expect attacks from unmanned boats or underwater drones.
Bogdan Stepovoy
Julia Leonova
Vladimir Matveev
