Smart self-driving boats, have different shapes and sizes, and are used for several tasks, such as environmental monitoring, as well as for military purposes.
Several drones were photographed during the Russian war on Ukraine, including one that was reportedly washed ashores of the Russian-controlled Crimea peninsula, and since then interest in them has been growing, and it has been considered a "vital tool" for Ukraine in its war with Russia.
Modern boats
Drones are a modern type of naval vessel, operating on or under water, semi-autonomous from actual human driving, and powered by advanced sensors and computer systems, which can be programmed to travel vast distances and avoid obstacles at sea.
This type of modern ship is known by several names, including unmanned boats, and is also known as "boats without a pilot" or "unmanned surface ships".
They are used for commercial civilian and military purposes such as demining, surveillance, and bombings near enemy targets.
Since their appearance, the drones have marked a new era of naval warfare, especially between Russia and Ukraine, as they are low-cost and pose a growing threat to Russia.
Unmanned boats are harder to detect via radar than naval vessels, due to their close movement, low altitude, and low noise.
Kattarzyna Zesk, a professor at the Norwegian Institute for Defense Studies, says: "While Ukraine does not have a significant naval force, its naval drones have prevented Russia from taking full control of the Black Sea."
This type of boat has received great attention in the United States of America, as it is the latest strategic weapon for the US Navy.
In 2022, the U.S. Navy squadron received prototypes of drones, and in the meantime was testing small ships that also looked like drones in the Persian Gulf.
Features of manufacture and mechanism of action
The Ukraine-made drones are about 5 meters long, weigh 1000,300 kg, have a payload of explosives of 800 kg, and can sail to a range of up to <> km.
They have a top speed of 80 kilometers per hour and exceed all naval vehicles in the Black Sea, and these boats can attack and carry out other operations, such as surveillance and reconnaissance.
Among the features of the drones are their compact explosives carrying, their remote-controlled cameras, and their ability to perform offensive and defensive roles.
Drones usually operate remotely, are programmed and targeted before launch, and one of the latest additions to the military industry was exhibited at a military industry exhibition in Istanbul.
Drones can share data, broadcast visuals to sense each other, and can help target coastal weapons sites through the data they provide, can be used at wide ranges, and easily transmitted from one area to another.
These boats have visible antennas, indicating that they are completely indispensable to human control, via high-frequency communications or satellites, and encrypted communications provide them with protection.
Because they do not rely on surveying and provide data on a human element on board, drones provide the opportunity to inspect in hazardous areas and reduce costs.
Disadvantages of drone boats
Drones have some disadvantages, including the narrow field of vision of the sensors placed on them, which makes it difficult to track moving targets due to inaccurate location data, in addition to the detection of camouflaged ships.
Another disadvantage is the need for constant communication via cameras with controllers to direct them to the target, and any malfunction of the important visual may jeopardize.
Drones are vulnerable to cyber penetration and exploitation, through hardware and software chains, which Russia has tried to do with Ukrainian drones.
Encryption systems that provide protection for communication and control of drones also have their drawbacks, most notably their vulnerability to failure to load encryption keys, which disrupts the communication process.
Turkey has begun developing a squadron of drones expected to reach speeds of 74 km/h (AP)
If the drone is seized, the other party can access satellites and hack into keys and systems.
Some of the disadvantages of unmanned surface ships are related to the conditions around them, as wind and waves can lead to rapid and severe deterioration of their engineering systems, and this is dangerous with no people on board to carry out repairs.
Professor Zesk says the drones are not yet a revolution and are still in the experimental phase.
Despite these shortcomings, the war in Ukraine has given the drones international attention, prompted other navies to develop this type of system, and drew attention to its operations, Zesk said.
In addition, some academic research indicates that "the propaganda of revolutions in military affairs is usually exaggerated," especially when they are arms manufacturers, which makes them suspicious, despite the attempts of many parties to convince the US militaries and Congress that it is the future.
Countries that have begun to develop combat drones
Among the countries that have recently begun to develop unmanned combat boats are Israel, Turkey and Russia, and Israel already uses these boats to monitor the seas.
In Turkey, Ismail Demir, head of defense industries, announced the start of a new project, a squadron "SİDA" (unmanned naval fighters). Demir stressed that his country is rapidly developing this project, of which two boats with two different scales succeeded in the field test.
The project was entrusted to Aselsan and contractors from other medium- and small companies.
The Turkish squadron of marine drones, consisting of the ALBATROS-S and MİR, is expected to reach speeds of more than 74 kilometers per hour and is designed to operate for several days without the need for refueling.
At the end of 2020, Turkey's Meteksan Defense Industries and Turkey's Aris shipyard were able to build a prototype of an unmanned armed boat named ULAQ.
The boat was produced from new materials and advanced composite and equipped with 12.7 mm machine guns, and is capable of guarding and monitoring the waters of the Turkish "Blue Homeland" with its advanced devices and systems, as well as locally made encrypted communication systems, and its ability to monitor day and night.
Unmanned boats in war
Ukraine used drones to repel Russian naval attacks, monitor the movements of the Russian army in the Black Sea, and attack Russian ships.
Ukraine recently unveiled a prototype of undersea drones called the Toloka TLK-150, as well as unmanned boats operating on the sea.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for the development of a fleet of drones, with the help of crowdfunding campaigns from a government fundraising platform, usually made from equipment ready for commercial use, not military.
Deputy Admiral Oleskiy Nizpapa, commander of the Ukrainian navy, said the boats could take part in long-range reconnaissance, monitor coastal activity, and escort and support the conventional fleet and convoys of merchant ships.
Drones can also modify missile and artillery strikes, protect Ukrainian military bases, and counter amphibious operations that Russia has already begun to launch.
Russian media and some Russian bloggers said Russia also used the boat in an attack on a bridge in the port city of Odessa.
During the Russian war on Ukraine, Ukrainian drones carried out at least 12 attacks, targeting military ships and the port of Novorossiysk.
The Pentagon confirmed that it supplied Ukraine with unmanned surface ships, which are designed to help Ukrainian forces meet their defense needs on the coast, and Pentagon spokesman John Kirby declined to talk about the ability of these boats specifically.
In May 2023, footage emerged of drones approaching the Russian intelligence vessel Ivan Khors, in which it was not clear whether the ship was damaged.
Russian sources say the accident occurred 90 miles north of the Bosphorus, about 120 miles from the Ukrainian coast, confirming the possibility of these boats traveling long distances.
Ukrainian drones also participated in July 2023 in targeting the Kerch Strait bridge, which is the supply artery for Russian forces, destroying part of it.
Seven Ukrainian unmanned vessels attacked the Crimean port of Sevastopol in October 7, marking the first known attack using unmanned surface vessels.
At least three Russian ships were damaged in that attack, making Russia significantly strengthen its defense, and the echo of those footage posted on the Internet "glorified the Ukrainian naval revolution", and activists and interested people called for a crowdfunding campaign to build an independent fleet for Ukraine.