The newest maritime drone was shown in Odessa
Date: 2024-06-17 Author: Кирило Загоруйко Categories: MILITARY ASSISTANCE
In Odessa, during the Black Sea Security Forum, the newest naval drone Stalker was shown.
As the correspondent reports, during the panel discussion “Battleship: Ukraine is destroying the Black Sea Fleet and changing the rules of the game,” the effectiveness of using unmanned ships at sea was discussed. At this time, a sample of the new Ukrainian naval drone Stalker 5.0 was exhibited in the hall.
Its length is 5 meters, width - more than 1.2 meters. According to Dumskaya, in a special compartment equipped in the hull, it can deliver water, food, military equipment and other cargo to the islands or coastal areas where our Defense Forces are located.
The drone can be used for reconnaissance and coastal patrol purposes in sea and river border areas. An attached gasoline engine with a power of 60 horses accelerates it to a speed of more than 40 knots (about 75 km/h). Cruising speed 30 knots (55 km per hour). The drone is equipped with a video communication and control system based on Starlink. The cost of one copy is about 60 thousand euros.
According to a participant in the discussion, Colonel of the Ukrainian Navy Mikhail Tretyak, the war that the Russian Federation unleashed, in particular the events in the Black Sea, pushed for military progress. According to his information, many relevant operations are now carried out using drones.
“Maritime drones are perhaps the most expensive drones, but human life is the most precious thing... We are now really on the threshold of an unmanned war, when drones will fight among themselves,” Tretyak emphasized.
He added that large surface ships remain relevant now, but the future lies with the “mosquito fleet” - drones. A “flock” of such drones is capable of destroying a powerful and much more expensive large ship. At the same time, the military admitted that every drone mission that takes place at sea is a new challenge because the enemy is also learning. Including counteracting drones and hiding its ship-boat composition. “Every time we have to invent new plans and routes...” said Tretyak.
According to retired British Army Colonel Richard Justin Kemp, the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Black Sea have achieved great success, but attention must be paid to the balance between large ships (for example, aircraft carriers), submarines and drones.
“They also said about tanks that they were ineffective, but in Gaza the Israeli army showed the opposite...” he said. The expert also added that they once said something similar about the “outdatedness” of the infantry, but now everyone sees that much is decided on the battlefield thanks to it.
The former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO Europe (1997-2000), General Wesley Clark, also spoke about the situation at sea during the discussion.
"Ukraine must work with these underwater and surface drones, because these strikes are very vulnerable to the Russian Federation... But it is also necessary to have air support. Air support is very important in this situation, because Russia has a large number of fighters and knows how to maintain them , how to use them. Therefore, we must understand that now there is time to make changes and help and decide on the future of Ukraine,” the general emphasized.
