Misplaced Pages

Sea Baby is a Ukrainian multi-purpose unmanned surface vehicle (USV) developed for use by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It is able to carry an explosive payload for use in kamikaze attacks, or equipped with other equipment loadouts for more specialised use.

Development

SBU brigadier general Lukashevych Ivan Volodymyrovych [uk] proposed the idea of the agency operating unmanned attack boats, and early USV models were designed in July 2022 in collaboration with specialists from the Ukrainian Navy and assorted private companies. Later, the SBU decided to develop drones independently, culminating in the Sea Baby design for operational use by the SBU, while what eventually became the MAGURA V5 became operated by the Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR). While the GUR's smaller and more manoeuvrable MAGURA V5 is used designed primarily for striking warships operating at sea, the SBU designed the Sea Baby for a heavier payload, primarily to strike such static targets as ships docked in port.

Models of the Sea Baby from late 2023 featured several redundant communications systems and carried explosive warheads up to 850 kg, compared to the 108 kg payloads from the earlier models. The multiple redundant communications systems were intended to avoid repeating the incident wherein Starlink-dependent USVs of the SBU were left stranded during a mission to strike the Russian frigate Admiral Makarov docked at Sevastopol, after connectivity to Starlink in Crimea was declined by Elon Musk. By the end of 2023, Sea Baby had transformed from a kamikaze attack vehicle to a multi-purpose platform capable of carrying different loadouts for various tasks, with examples including guided missile launchers and laser guidance systems, and in January 2024, the SBU revealed a variant of the Sea Baby equipped with six thermobaric launchers based on the RPV-16 [uk] design.

Both the MAGURA V5 and Sea Baby were then inducted into the 385th USV Brigade after its formation as the world's first USV unit in August 2023 although their operatives were still GUR and SBU.

Operational history

On July 17, 2023, two Sea Baby USVs struck the Crimean Bridge, resulting in damage to the abutment and bridge span.

On September 14, 2023, the SBU claimed that it struck Russian corvette Samum with a Sea Baby USV, with a video later surfacing that shows the ship being towed with a noticeable list.

In October 2023, the Russian patrol ship Pavel Derzhavin was damaged by a Sea Baby attack. Later in December 2023, the reconnaissance and hydrographic ship Vladimir Kozitsky was also struck by a Sea Baby USV.

On May 6, 2024, Russia released footage of a Ka-29 using gunfire on a Sea Baby drone. The drone was armed with a R-73 infrared missile, to defend it from helicopters. One missile appeared to have been fired before it was destroyed by gun fire.

In December 2024, Ukraine revealed that the Sea Baby had been used in an attack on Crimea and that they had been modified with mounted .50 caliber machine guns. Video footage revealed the Sea Baby using these guns on Russian patrol boats and armed Mi-8 helicopters. The Security Service of Ukraine claimed that the Sea Babies were able to inflict damage on several helicopters and boats.

See also

• MAGURA V5 – USV developed for use by the Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine (GUR)
• Marichka – Ukrainian autonomous underwater vehicle
• Malyuk – Bullpup assault rifle

Notes

1. The name "Sea Baby", which literally translates into Ukrainian as "Морський малюк" (Mors'kyy malyuk), is a play on words referring to the Head of the Security Service of Ukraine at the time, Vasyl Malyuk.

References

1. ^ Mazurenko, Alona (February 23, 2024). "Ukrainians donate nearly US$7.71 million in record two days for Sea Baby drones". Ukrainska Pravda.
2. Valentyna Romanenko (March 6, 2024). "Ukraine's Security Service shows testing of new surface drone called Avdiivka – video, photo". Ukrainska Pravda.
3. Mazurenko, Alona (August 16, 2023). "Security Service Head reveals where unique Ukrainian Sea Baby drones are assembled". Ukrainska Pravda.
4. ^ Romaniuk, Roman (January 1, 2024). "Sea drones, Elon Musk, and high-precision missiles: How Ukraine dominates in the Black Sea". Ukrainska Pravda. Archived from the original on January 2, 2024.
5. Roman Romaniuk (March 4, 2024). "Target and eliminate: How Ukraine's Magura drones devastate Russian ships". Ukrainska Pravda. Archived from the original on March 5, 2024.
6. Prykhodko, Roman (January 3, 2024). Українські морські дрони: після камікадзе – носій ракет. Ukrainian Military Center (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on February 10, 2024.
7. Українські морські безпілотники обладнали реактивними вогнеметами (Фото, відео). Military Courier Ukraine (in Ukrainian). January 1, 2024.
8. Розробники розповіли, як посилили морські дрони Sea Baby для боротьби з рф. Слово і Діло (in Ukrainian). January 1, 2024.
9. Sutton, H. I. (August 31, 2023). "World's First Specialized Explosive Naval Drone Unit Formed In Ukraine". Naval News. Archived from the original on August 31, 2023. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
10. СБУ показала відео ураження Кримського мосту дронами SeaBaby. Ukrainian Military Center (in Ukrainian). November 25, 2023. Archived from the original on January 8, 2024.
11. "Ukrainian SeaBaby drone hits Russian Samum missile warship in Black Sea". Ukrainska Pravda. September 15, 2023.
12. Valentyna Romanenko (September 16, 2023). "Images of Russian Samum ship being towed are published on Internet". Ukrainska Pravda.
13. У ВМС підтвердили пошкодження російського корабля "Павел Державин". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (in Ukrainian). October 12, 2023.
14. В Україні прокоментували можливий підрив на міні катера РФ "Владимир Козицкий". Крым.Реалии (in Ukrainian). October 27, 2023.
15. Newdick, Thomas (May 6, 2024). "Ukrainian Drone Boats Now Armed With Adapted Air-To-Air Missiles". TWZ. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
16. Fornusek, Martin (December 9, 2024). "SBU releases video of Sea Baby naval drones repelling Russian helicopter attack". The Kyiv Independent. Retrieved December 12, 2024.

• Autonomous ships
• Ships of the Ukrainian Navy
• Ukrainian inventions