Sea Baby | |
---|---|
Type | Unmanned surface vehicle |
Place of origin | Ukraine |
Service history | |
Used by | Security Service of Ukraine |
Production history | |
Unit cost | 8.5 million hryvnias [1] |
Produced | 2023 |
Specifications | |
Main armament | Explosive warhead (up to 850 kg) or 6 × RPV-16 thermobaric grenade launchers |
Operational range | at least 1000 kilometres [2] |
Maximum speed | 90 km/h [1] |
Sea Baby [note 1] is a Ukrainian multi-purpose unmanned surface vehicle (USV) developed for use by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It is able to carry an explosive payload for use in kamikaze attacks, or equipped with other equipment loadouts for more specialised use. [4]
SBU brigadier general Lukashevich Ivan Volodymyrovych proposed the idea of the agency operating unmanned attack boats, and early USV models were designed in July 2022 in collaboration with specialists from the Ukrainian Navy and assorted private companies. Later, the SBU decided to develop drones independently, culminating in the Sea Baby design for operational use by the SBU, while what eventually became the MAGURA V5 became operated by the Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR). [4] While the GUR's smaller and more manoeuvrable MAGURA V5 is used designed primarily for striking warships operating at sea, the SBU designed the Sea Baby for a heavier payload, primarily to strike such static targets as ships docked in port. [5]
Models of the Sea Baby from late 2023 featured several redundant communications systems and carried explosive warheads up to 850 kg, compared to the 108 kg payloads from the earlier models. [4] The multiple redundant communications systems were intended to avoid repeating the incident wherein Starlink-dependent USVs of the SBU were left stranded during a mission to strike the Russian frigate Admiral Makarov docked at Sevastopol, after connectivity to Starlink in Crimea was declined by Elon Musk. [4] By the end of 2023, Sea Baby had transformed from a kamikaze attack vehicle to a multi-purpose platform capable of carrying different loadouts for various tasks, with examples including guided missile launchers and laser guidance systems, and in January 2024, the SBU revealed a variant of the Sea Baby equipped with six thermobaric launchers based on the RPV-16 design. [6] [7] [8]
On July 17, 2023, two Sea Baby USVs struck the Crimean Bridge, resulting in damage to the abutment and bridge span. [4] [9]
On September 14, 2023, the SBU claimed that it struck Russian corvette Samum with a Sea Baby USV, [10] with a video later surfacing that shows the ship being towed with a noticeable list. [11]
In October 2023, the Russian patrol ship Pavel Derzhavin was damaged by a Sea Baby attack. [4] [12] Later in December 2023, the reconnaissance and hydrographic ship Vladimir Kozitsky was also struck by a Sea Baby USV. [4] [13]
On 6 May 2024, Russia released footage of a Ka-29 using gunfire on a Sea Baby drone. The drone was armed with a R-73 infrared missile, to defend it from helicopters. One missile appeared to have been fired before it was destroyed by gun fire. [14]
The Beriev A-50 is a Soviet-origin airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft that is based on the Ilyushin Il-76 transport plane. Developed to replace the Tupolev Tu-126 "Moss", the A-50 first flew in 1978. Its existence was revealed to the Western Bloc in 1978 by Adolf Tolkachev. It entered service in 1985, with about 40 produced by 1992.
An unmanned surface vehicle, unmanned surface vessel or uncrewed surface vessel (USV), colloquially called a drone boat, drone ship or sea drone, is a boat or ship that operates on the surface of the water without a crew. USVs operate with various levels of autonomy, from remote control to fully autonomous surface vehicles (ASV).
The Ropucha class, Soviet designation Project 775, is a class of landing ship built in Poland for the Soviet Navy. The ships were built in the Stocznia Północna shipyards in Gdańsk, Poland. They were designed for beach landings, and can carry 450 tons of cargo. The ships have both bow and stern doors for loading and unloading vehicles, and the 630 square metres (6,800 sq ft) of vehicle deck stretch the length of the hull. Up to 25 armored personnel carriers can be embarked.
Tsezar Kunikov (BDK-64), sometimes anglicised as Caesar Kunikov, is a Project 775, large landing ship of the Russian Navy. The ship was built in Poland, launched in 1986 and named after Soviet Naval Infantry officer Tsezar Kunikov. As part of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, it took part in the KFOR mission, the Russo-Georgian War, the Syrian Civil War, and the Russo-Ukrainian War.
Project 22160 is a series of large patrol ships being constructed for the Russian Navy. The vessels are primarily intended for duties such as patrol, monitoring and protection in open and closed seas. The first ship was laid down in February 2014 and joined the Russian Navy in December 2018. By January 2018, six ships were under construction. Between 2017 and 2022, four ships had been launched.
The Samum is a Bora-class corvette in the Soviet Navy and later the Russian Navy. In Soviet and later Russian classification, it is considered a "small missile ship". Like the rest of the class, it's a surface effect ship armed with anti-ship missiles.
The Snake Island campaign was a period of Russian occupation and military conflict for Snake Island, a small, strategically located Ukrainian island in the Black Sea. On 24 February 2022, the first day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Russian Navy attacked Snake Island and captured it along with its entire garrison, beginning a military occupation of the island. The attack was widely publicized when an audio clip of the Russian cruiser Moskva hailing the island's garrison over the radio demanding their surrender and being told "Russian warship, go fuck yourself" in response went viral, along with initial inaccurate reports of the garrison's deaths. Later on, it emerged that a civilian search and rescue ship trying to evacuate the soldiers was also captured along with the garrison. The ship, its crew, and at least one soldier were subsequently freed in prisoner exchanges.
The battle of Huliaipole is an ongoing military conflict between the Armed Forces of Russia and the Armed Forces of Ukraine over the city of Huliaipole, in central Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
In February 2022, two days after Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine requested American aerospace company SpaceX to activate their Starlink satellite internet service in the country to replace internet and communication networks degraded or destroyed during the war. Starlink has since been used by Ukrainian civilians, government and military. The satellite service has served for humanitarian purposes, as well as defense and attacks on Russian positions.
During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Russian Armed Forces have launched several missile attacks over the city of Dnipro in Ukraine. These have led to dozens of fatalities and over a hundred injuries among the civilian population.
Beginning in July 2022, a series of explosions and fires occurred on the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula from where the Russian Army had launched its offensive on Southern Ukraine during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Occupied since 2014, Crimea was a base for the subsequent Russian occupation of Kherson Oblast and Russian occupation of Zaporizhzhia Oblast. The Ukrainian government has not accepted responsibility for all of the attacks.
Vasyl Vasyliovych Malyuk is a Ukrainian military officer, Lieutenant General, Head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) since 7 February 2023. He is a member of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine and a member of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief’s Staff since 16 August 2022
On 29 October 2022, there was a large-scale attack by aerial drones and drone boats on the Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
On 17 July 2023, at approximately 3:04 a.m. and 3:20 a.m. EEST, the Ukrainian Navy attacked the Crimean Bridge, with two suicide sea drones, damaging a span of the road bridge. The explosions killed two civilians and injured one. Ukraine later formally admitted to launching the attack.
Olenegorsky Gornyak, formerly known as BDK-91, is a Project 775, Ropucha-class landing ship of the Russian Navy. Landing ships launch amphibious forces close to shore, and can dock and quickly unload cargo.
MAGURA V5 is a Ukrainian multi-purpose unmanned surface vehicle (USV) developed for use by the Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine (HUR) capable of performing various tasks: surveillance, reconnaissance, patrolling, search and rescue, mine countermeasures, maritime security, and combat missions.
Sergey Kotov was a Project 22160 patrol ship of the Russian Navy. She was attacked in the Black Sea by Ukrainian forces using MAGURA V5 maritime drones on 5 March 2024, and Ukrainian intelligence claimed the ship was sunk.
Lastochkyne is a rural-type settlement in Pokrovsk Raion, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. During the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Battle of Avdiivka and subsequent fall of the city to Russian forces placed the settlement in the frontline. It was captured by Russian forces on 24 February 2024.
Marichka is a Ukrainian-made multi-purpose autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) capable of performing underwater attack missions, as well as cargo transportation and reconnaissance.