New Ukrainian underwater drone project to dominate Black Sea

Sea drones are reshaping naval combat in the Black Sea.

Ukraine has had a major advantage so far, but as the Russian Navy gets better at countering them this lead is under threat. Now a Ukrainian project seeks to introduce highly capable Western underwater drones to the fight, Naval News reports.

Imagine a future where Ukrainian submersibles sink Russian warships far out in the Black Sea. Project FURY, which is preparing for the next Ukrainian government defence hackathon, is daring to do just that.

The naval war in the Black Sea is the first in history to have been shaped by uncrewed platforms. Ukraine was quick to innovate with uncrewed boats (USVs) and has so far seemed one step ahead of the Russian Navy. But their lead is under threat.

Project FURY (First Ukrainian Robotic Navy), which will be present at the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense’s ‘Offensive of Machines’ hackathon on January 28, is looking at the natural evolution of the uncrewed battle.

Diving in for the kill

Ukraine’s USVs have been successful in pushing the Black Sea Fleet back. And they have been one of the few ways Ukraine can threaten Russian ships. But their continued effectiveness is under the spotlight.

In an interview published on January 11, Vice Admiral Oleksii Neizhpapa, Commander of the Ukrainian Navy, alluded to this. He noted that: “Some of our tricks and tactics that were worked out in 2022 and 2023 will not work in 2024. Therefore, you need to change tactics, change the technical characteristics of everything you do.”

The USVs success has been, at least in part, due to Russia’s slowness in countering them. But this is changing, Russia is implementing more defenses and is getting better at countering them. Defences against small fast boats have been around since the 1900s and have been a focus in Western navies for some years due to Middle Eastern threats. Without continued innovation on the Ukrainian side Russia could regain its superiority in the Black Sea. Especially as the war looks set to go on for years.

Although USVs will still be relevant, and new developments may continue to strain Russian defences, many are looking underwater for the answer. USVs will likely always be vulnerable to aircraft. There are several Ukrainian underwater drone (AUV: autonomous underwater vehicle) projects which are already public. And no doubt others which are not. What sets Project FURY apart is that it’s not trying to build a completely new drone.

The advantages of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs)

Armed AUVs have the obvious advantages of surprise, stealth and survivability. And although they are likely to be more expensive than the current USVs, they will be reusable and thus cheaper in the long run. At the same time, they do not require the logistics and personnel footprint of regular submarines.

Building AUVs is inherently difficult, much more so than surface vessels. Propulsion, communication and autonomy all present particular challenges. Project FURY’s approach is to partner with an experienced AUV manufacturer in the West and essentially weaponize an existing platform. This greatly reduces development risk and should result in a much more capable platform than if they started from scratch.

The AUV would be seen as a platform for a range of missions. And it will be able to carry stand-off weapons such as mines or torpedoes, or even submarine-launched missiles. Capitalizing on existing developments, a range of sensors could be fitted. As well as attack, it will be able to conduct intelligence missions.

Outlook

Ukraine needs to stay two steps ahead. If Ukraine doesn’t, Russia could easily regain complete dominance in the Black Sea. They would be able to operate with impunity.

These underwater vehicles may be the answer. AUVs will always be harder for Russia to counter. Anti-submarine warfare is never easy. Combined with standoff weapons, armed AUVs can threaten the Russian Navy throughout the whole Black Sea. And carry out missions which are not possible with the current USVs.