US special forces test Ukrainian Magura drones in Pacific Ocean for first time
Photo: Magura sea drone (Getty Images)
US special forces have tested Ukrainian Magura sea drones in the Indo-Pacific region for the first time. During exercises in the Philippines, the unmanned vessels sank a target ship, Bloomberg reports.
This was the first test of Ukrainian sea drones in the Indo-Pacific region.
Why sea drones are critically important
The Indo-Pacific region is 30 times larger than the continental United States and is dominated by vast water areas. Sea drones allow crewed ships and submarines to stay outside the strike zone while still performing reconnaissance, mine-laying, and even missile launches.
Their key advantage is cost: a few hundred thousand dollars per unit, which is far less than a modern US torpedo
#Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence (#HUR) has hit a Russian high-speed boat with a #Magura V5 naval drone in the Vuzka (Narrow) Bay area of temporarily occupied #Crimea, HUR reported.
— KyivPost (@KyivPost) May 6, 2024
: HUR pic.twitter.com/UoNNntzc6r
Who is buying sea drones
Taiwan has ordered 1,320 combat sea drones Kaui-Chi for $888 million. The US expects thousands of small unmanned vessels in the Indo-Pacific region by 2030. Japan has allocated $600 million for drones for coastal defense.
Ukraine enters the global market
Oleh Rohynskyi, director of the London-based company Uforce, which produces Magura drones, told Bloomberg that the company is negotiating with countries in the Indo-Pacific region and is considering building at least two production facilities in the region.
The Magura drones have sunk around 10 Russian military ships in the Black Sea, he said. "Combat resilience is absolutely key for any further development here," Rohynskyi noted.
Taiwan is already taking Ukraine as a model in the use of sea drones and last year announced a plan to produce millions of drones to defend against China.
Ukrainian Magura drones have set five combat records recognized by the Ukrainian Book of Records, including the world’s first recorded aerial target downed by a sea drone.
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