The war between Ukraine and Russia is incorporating sea drones more and more.
Aerial drones have seen success in the ongoing conflict, but now another kind of ocean-based technology is gaining traction - and it could revolutionize future naval battles.
Sea drones are miniaturized, unmanned boats. Unlike their airborne counterparts, these are meant to traverse on or beneath the waves.
Different terms are employed to refer to them, such as drone boats, drone ships, and uncrewed surface vessels (USVs).
They are available in many forms and sizes, and can be used for a multitude of purposes, including environmental observation.
Drones can be utilized for military operations as well, such as defusing mines, monitoring, and detonation close to objectives like hostile naval vessels.
Since the beginning of the conflict, a number of sea drones have been seen, including one which is said to have been found on the beach of Russian-controlled Crimea.
In addition to aerial drones, Ukraine recently presented a prototype of a Toloka TLK-150, which is an unmanned submarine drone.
Popular types of sea drones have incorporated explosives and cameras that can send back visuals to their operator.
The drones are often programmed with long-range objectives prior to takeoff.
Sidharth Kaushal from the defence think tank Rusi elucidates that the machines are remotely guided by a human when they move nearer to the objective.
Ukrainian sea drones have been designed with support generated from crowdfunding initiatives. The parts used to make them are typically regular "off-the-shelf" components used commercially instead of militarily, according to Mr Kaushal.
Some Russian sources have asserted that Russia was involved in a strike on a bridge situated in the port of Odesa, however the BBC has not seen any proof of this.
The exact number of sea drones that both sides have is not made public. The cost of these drones is also unknown, though one of the Ukrainian government's publicized examples has a cost of $250,000 (£197,000), which is less costly than many types of long-range missiles.
Marine drones can be utilized quickly and don't necessitate a team that is fully-instructed.
Mr Kaushal asserts that even if one manages to acquire a lot of low-cost items, the cost of one of them getting through and damaging a costly asset will have already been justified by the model.
Verification research completed by the BBC suggests that the Ukrainian government has perpetrated a minimum of 13 assaults with sea drones, which targeted Russian naval base in Sevastopol, and Novorossiysk harbour, as well as military vessels. This conclusion was reached by analysing declarations by Russian and Ukrainian governing bodies and reports in local media.
CNN has been told by Ukrainian defence sources that sea drones were utilized in an assault on the Kerch Bridge in July.
Attacks have occurred that have not taken place near Ukrainian shores.
In May, a video surfaced of unmanned vessels going towards a Russian intelligence-gathering vehicle named the Ivan Khurs, yet it's uncertain if the ship sustained any harm.
Russia reported that the incident occurred in the vicinity of 140 kilometers from the Turkish Bosphorus Strait and about 193 kilometers from the Ukrainian coast. This serves to demonstrate the potential range of these drones. on this device.
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VIEW: BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner examines the rise of Ukraine's utilization of underwater drones
Ukraine has devised a new way to wage naval warfare, through the use of sea drones, which are relatively affordable. According to some commentators, this poses an ever increasing danger to Russia.
As opposed to naval vessels, sea drones are more difficult to pick up on radar due to their low profile and decreased sound output.
Ukraine's absence of a significant navy hasn't stopped it from preventing Russia from gaining total control of the Black Sea due to its use of sea drones, according to Katarzyna Zysk, a professor at the Norwegian Institute of Defence Studies.
In October 2022, Russia's naval base in Sevastopol was the target of an attack - the first of its kind in recorded history as it employed both sea and airborne drones.
At least three Russian vessels were reported as having been hurt in the incident, as per GeoConfirmed, a firm that goes over satellite as well as other publicly accessible pictures. According to recent satellite visuals examined by BBC Validate, Russia subsequently has increased its protection at the camp drastically.
An assault in Sevastopol in September that resulted in 24 people being hurt was said to have been carried out by three unmanned vessels, according to Russia.
One drawback of sea drones is that they still have some drawbacks.
Sensors that are on-board may not have a broad field of vision, therefore making it hard to keep track of targets that are in motion without precise location information or to detect camouflaged ships.
Those who have cameras mounted on their craft require ongoing communication with their controller in order to be directed to their destination; hence, any issues regarding streaming video will put their mission in jeopardy.
"At this juncture," according to Prof Zysk, "It has not yet become a revolution. We are still in the testing stage."
Ukraine's approach has gained worldwide interest, inspiring other navies to construct and employ similar systems, according to her.
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