That an army without a navy has been able to expel the Russian fleet, one of the most powerful in the world, from the Black Sea: this is one of the great surprises of the war in Ukraine. Using vessels the size of a Jet-Ski or a speedboat, the Ukrainians managed to sink or damage numerous Russian ships, forcing Moscow to withdraw much of its fleet from the port of Sevastopol. While Euronaval, one of the main naval arms fairs, is being held in Paris from November 4 to 7, all navies are wondering what place should be given to these unmanned surface vessels, also called “USVs” (for unmanned surface vehicle in English).
Surface drones are not a new reality, “But recent technological advances in on-board electronics have made it possible to manufacture smaller, stronger and more resistant boats in the very restrictive environment such as the sea”underlines Léo Péria-Peigné, rare specialist in these systems in France and researcher at the French Institute of International Relations. “Research on surface drones was progressing relatively slowly, but the war in Ukraine was a big boost”duck.
Since 2023, the Houthis have also used it in the Red Sea. The devices used do not seem particularly sophisticated: some are simple armed zodiacs projected against the ships circulating in the area. However, they constitute one of the main threats faced by Westerners seeking to guarantee freedom of movement.
US ghost fleet
Too many missions and not enough ships. This has long been the impossible equation that the US Navy, the most advanced in the field of the so-called “USV”, must solve. In addition to a fleet of small surface drones comparable to those used in Ukraine, the Americans have embarked on the development of true unmanned warships.
In 2016, they launched their first unmanned patrol boat. Baptized sea hunter (“hunter of the seas”), this trimaran, 40 meters long, is capable of sailing independently for months. Equipped with state-of-the-art sonars, radars and cameras, it is assumed that it will be able to carry out different missions: anti-submarine warfare, anti-mine warfare, maritime surveillance, etc. All at an unbeatable cost, according to the Pentagon. : 20,000 dollars (just over 18,400 euros) per day, compared to 700,000 dollars for a destroyer.
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