Russia To Deploy First Fiber-Optic Naval Drone to Black Sea Fleet

Russian media announced the first deployment of a fiber-optic naval drone to the Black Sea Fleet. Designed to act as a suicide drone, carry FPV drones, and target Ukrainian maritime drones, Defense Express reported on September 8.

The idea of using a fiber-optic cable for control could extend range beyond traditional radio links, but practical challenges quickly appear. The drone carries a heavy, protected spool of cable, which limits both maneuverability and maximum length.

Signal strength along the cable becomes a serious constraint: without repeaters or amplifiers, the connection likely won’t exceed 100 km—just barely enough to reach from the occupied Kinburn Spit to Odesa, Defense Express writes.

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The drone itself is small, carrying limited payload. Still, it could deliver a few FPV drones capable of striking Mykolaiv, Odesa, or Kherson from the temporarily occupied coast of Kherson region.

Fiber-optic control is a workaround for Russia’s weak satellite communication capabilities and avoids electronic warfare countermeasures that can jam radio-controlled drones like the “Katran,” Defense Express claims.

Defense Express said that the appearance of these fiber-optic naval drones deserves attention. Despite limitations, Russia could scale the concept and expand its maritime drone threat, particularly along Ukraine’s southern coast.

Previously, Ukrainian marines have developed and deployed a new unmanned surface vessel (USV) named Barracuda, designed for operations in river and littoral environments, according to reports and footage released by the 40th Separate Coastal Defense Brigade.

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