What kind of threat could Russian unmanned boats pose to the enemy?

Russian armed forces in the Black Sea are about to receive new unmanned boats, which can be used to destroy sea and coastal targets.

Xuồng không người lái của Hải quân Nga có thể gây ra mối đe dọa như thế nào?

Russian Navy's unmanned boat. (Source: TASS)

Recently, the CEO of Kingisepp Machine-Building Plant (KMZ) Mikhail Danilenko said that the first unmanned surface vessels (USVs) will be delivered to the Russian armed forces by the end of 2023 and tested in the Ukraine conflict zone.

This will be the first test batch of 10 boats, he added. The USV boat reaches speeds of up to 80km/h, has a payload of about 600kg, and can be equipped with explosives and other devices.

According to Russian military researcher Yury Knutov, while such USVs are capable of posing a significant threat to warships, they could also be used against coastal targets.

A single conventional USV cannot pose a threat to an aircraft carrier or cruiser (although multiple SUVs at once can), not to mention that, to cause serious damage to a warship, the boat needs to approach its intended target undetected, the researcher said.

"Our USVs can be equipped with explosives and carry up to 600 kg of payload. The operating range is about 200 km, the maximum speed is 80 km/h. These characteristics are quite sufficient to use them for missions to destroy large warships. 600 kg of explosives is enough to sink a corvette, and possibly a destroyer," said Mr. Knutov.

He noted that the USV's payload does not necessarily have to be explosive, so instead of being used as suicide boats, they could be used to transport cargo or gather intelligence.

The researcher informed that Russian USVs were displayed at the naval parade this summer. According to him, the USV Vizir developed by the KMZ plant is "a new stage in the development of such equipment."

"This equipment must be tested in combat conditions, and if it meets the military's expectations, the new USV will be put into service," he added.

On November 24, a Ukrainian V5 USV was captured by Russia in western Crimea.

Specifically, the Telegram channel Two Majors , which specializes in providing Russian military information, reported that the V5 boat was trying to attack Russian ships in western Crimea and it fell into Russian hands.

The author of the article commented: "There is a surprise waiting", a sign that Russia will grasp the V5 boat's technology to find a way to control it.

In this case, the capture of the V5 could help Moscow forces "dissect" the technology, especially the electronic systems and exact communication methods that Kiev is using on the boat.

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