Ukraine’s Katran X1.2 Naval Drone Combines Sea Strikes With AI-Powered Interceptors

Ukraine has tested the Katran X1.2 naval drone carrying 27 MAC Dead Fly interceptor drones during trials on the Dnipro River, in what developers describe as a new layer of the country's air and naval defense, according to Welt on May 19.

The platform was developed through cooperation between the Ukrainian company MAC HUB and the Black Sea Legion, a naval unit operating under Ukraine's Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR).

The deployment is considered tactically significant because Russian Shahed drones often use Ukrainian rivers as routes for attacks on civilian infrastructure in Kyiv and other cities. A mobile, river-capable launch platform paired with autonomous interceptors places defensive systems directly along the corridors Shaheds exploit.

"The combination of unmanned vessels and interceptor drones is a technological and tactical innovation in the history of modern warfare," Welt wrote. "It adds another layer to Ukraine's multi-level air defense while simultaneously opening new possibilities in naval warfare."

The Katran X1.2 is a multi-purpose naval drone capable of operating as a suicide drone, carrying two short-range R-73 missiles and various types of aerial drones.

The vessel is nine meters long, equipped with a 350-horsepower engine, and has a range of up to 1,600 kilometers.

The MAC Dead Fly interceptors carried by the Katran are equipped with built-in artificial intelligence that enables them to detect targets independently. The drones reach speeds of up to 380 kilometers per hour, which Welt described as "fast enough to destroy Shahed drones."

Engineers are reportedly working on increasing the interceptors' speed to 450 kilometers per hour at the military's request.

Both the naval drone and the interceptors were operated from a mobile command post onshore via the MAC Mission Control system. The system integrates combat platforms into a single network and coordinates operations in real time.

The Black Sea Legion forms part of the active operations unit FERRATA within Ukraine's Main Directorate of Intelligence. The unit has previously confirmed attacks on Russian oil and gas platforms in the Black Sea, and the Katran was already used in operations last autumn.

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