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Russia Builds Its First Sea Drone Carrier to Launch FPV Strikes, Mirroring Ukraine’s Strategy

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Ivan_khomenko
Ivan Khomenko
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Russia Builds Its First Sea Drone Carrier to Launch FPV Strikes, Mirroring Ukraine’s Strategy
Prototype of Russia’s “Katran” sea drone, developed as a launch platform for FPV drones. (Source: Russian Center for Unmanned Systems and Technologies)

Russian defense developers are working on a prototype maritime drone carrier equipped to launch FPV aerial drones, according to Militarnyi citing the Russian Center for Unmanned Systems and Technologies.

The project involves integrating modified FPV drones, specifically the 10-inch “Skvorets” model, onto a naval platform. These drones are expected to perform reconnaissance and strike missions within a 5–10 km range from the carrier vessel.

The platform chosen for this initiative is the “Katran” unmanned surface vehicle (USV), which entered experimental deployment with Russia’s Black Sea Fleet in March 2025.

Developers claim that the future drone carrier variant will be able to deploy dozens of FPV drones at distances up to 100–200 km. After launch, the vessel is designed to serve as a communications relay for remote control of the drones.

Crate with Russian FPV drones “Skvorets,” intended for deployment from the Katran maritime drone carrier. (Source: Russian Center for Unmanned Systems and Technologies)
Crate with Russian FPV drones “Skvorets,” intended for deployment from the Katran maritime drone carrier. (Source: Russian Center for Unmanned Systems and Technologies)

The Katran prototype features a traditional hull structure built from aluminum-magnesium alloy, reducing overall weight. It can also be configured into a trimaran setup using detachable floats to improve stability and increase onboard payload capacity. Without the floats, the vessel is more maneuverable—an important feature if used as a one-way strike platform.

Despite these efforts, communication systems remain a key challenge for Russian naval drone programs. Unlike Ukraine, Russia lacks access to satellite connectivity systems such as Starlink, relying instead on conventional radio and relay-based links, which limits range and reliability.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian defense forces have already deployed maritime drones for coastal patrol and drone interception missions.

Earlier, Ukraine has confirmed the destruction of two Russian Su-30SM fighter jets over the Black Sea using AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles launched from Magura-class sea drones.

According to Defense Intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov, the May 2 strike involved three modified Magura V7 drones operated jointly with the Security Service and Armed Forces. One Russian crew survived; the other was killed.

It comes as Ukraine continues to push Russian naval forces away from its shores. Vice Admiral Oleksii Neizhpapa, commander of the Ukrainian Navy, said Ukraine now engages the Russian fleet closer to their own ports, thanks to advances in missile systems and naval drones.

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