Who needs sailors anyway?

[Kirkhill]

Ukraine's Drone Boats Are Now Shooting Machine Guns At Russian Helicopters, Boats

Machine gun-armed Sea Baby uncrewed vessels have emerged amid growing Russian efforts to stymie Ukraine's kamikaze drone boat attacks.

www.twz.com

 

[Kirkhill]

DARPA and US Navy Achieve Milestone in Autonomous Naval Refueling

DARPA and US Navy Achieve Milestone in Autonomous Naval Refueling.

www.armyrecognition.com

DARPA's NOMARS program achieves a milestone with the first successful automated fueling-at-sea test

The NOMARS program is developing USVs that can function independently, eliminating the need for crew accommodations or safety provisions onboard. This recent test was conducted with support from the U.S. Navy’s PMS-406 (Unmanned Maritime Systems Program Office) and USV Squadron 1 (USVRON-1) using two experimental USVs: Ranger and Mariner.

Fueling USVs at sea poses unique challenges, as current methods require personnel to handle lines and hoses. These constraints complicate USV design and expose crew members to risks when transferring personnel during adverse sea conditions. The NOMARS program addresses these challenges by implementing a refueling approach that keeps humans aboard the refueling vessel while automating operations on the USV.

 

[Kirkhill]

Ukrainian sea drone brings down Russian helicopter for first time

Magura V5 naval drone destroys Russian helicopter off Crimean coast in ‘historic strike’

www.telegraph.co.uk

A Ukrainian sea drone has destroyed a Russian helicopter off the coast of Crimea for the first time.

Footage of the attack shared by HUR, Kyiv’s military intelligence, showed the drone bobbing on the sea as the aircraft manoeuvred above.

Plumes of water splashed up next to the Magura V5 drone as Russian fire hit the sea around it. What appeared to be rockets were launched towards the helicopter, which could later be seen plunging into the sea.

A second aircraft was also targeted in the strike but was only damaged and was able to limp back to a nearby airfield, Kyiv said. Ukraine’s defence ministry described it as a “historic strike”.