As a source from Ukraine who directly participated in the exercises told the publication, during the maneuvers the Ukrainian side acted as a mock enemy. The “red” team in the operation included American, British, Spanish and other units, and overall command was exercised by Ukraine.
In five scenarios where the defense of ports and convoys, as well as attacks on them, were practiced, the Ukrainian team won each time over the Alliance forces.
The Ukrainian military used maritime drones MAGURA V7 – small unmanned boats capable of ramming ships or attacking them with installed weapons. Since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022, the Ukrainian Navy has used such naval drones and other weapons to push the occupiers out of the western Black Sea, despite lacking capital ships of its own.
According to the rules of the exercise, no real strike was required: a “victory” was counted if the drone was the first to take aim at the ship. Conversely, it was considered intercepted if the ship's crew managed to photograph it beforehand.
According to the publication's source, in one episode the mock attack was so successful that a NATO frigate could have been sunk in a real battle. However, the ship's crew discovered the threat too late. According to the publication’s interlocutor, five minutes after the conditional “hits,” the “blue” team asked in the general chat: “So are you going to attack us or not?” According to the Ukrainian source, the problem was not that they could not stop the mock enemy: “They didn’t even see our weapons.”
Dozens of pieces of equipment took part in the exercises, including ships, aircraft and unmanned systems from different countries. According to participants, the results showed that the combination of drones and combat experience makes such systems a serious threat to NATO fleets, which are not yet sufficiently prepared for such attacks.
Context
Naval drones have become an important element of modern naval warfare. Ukrainian developments MAGURA (GUR) and Sea Baby (SBU) have already demonstrated effectiveness – with their help it was possible hit the ships and helicopters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, disrupt enemy logistics and strengthen the security of ports and sea routes.
Such drones partially replace traditional warships and allow carry out targeted attacks and reconnaissance without risk to crews. Ukraine is actively developing this area, improving the autonomy, range and combat capabilities of unmanned platforms.
