December 29, 2025:
The German navy is one of many that are investing in unscrewed vessels. The Germans are developing three models, the 60 meter long Large Remote Missile Vessels/LRMV, the smaller Future Combat Surface Systems/FCSS and Large Unmanned Underwater Vehicles/LUUV. Germany expects to have at least three LRMV, 18 FCSS and 12 LUUV. All of these are to be available by 2035. These drones will work with eight 10,000 ton F127 frigates Germany is building. Based on the smaller U.S. Burke class destroyers, the F127s may be redesignated as destroyers.
The 160meter long vessels have a top speed of 58 kilometers an hour and a range of 7,400 kilometers at a cruising speed that is about half the top speed. Endurance, with onboard fuel and provisions, is 30 days. Systems include a fire control system based on the U.S. Aegis plus both surface and air search AESA radars. There is a SONAR and electro-optical sensors for tracking and firing on small boats or drones. This would be done with an as yet undetermined number of machine guns and Close In Weapons like Phalanx or similar systems.
Missile armament consists of 64 VLS cells for air defense missiles like SM-2 IIIC or SM-6. There are two 21-cell launchers for RIM-116 air defense missiles, two four-cell launchers for the NSM 1a anti-ship or land attack cruise missile, and a 127mm gun. There is also a deck and hangar for two NH90 helicopters equipped for search and rescue or anti-Submarine operations.
The LRMV is meant to be used on the high seas in areas where the F127s are operating. The LRMVs can keep up with the F127s or just slowly circle in an area while waiting for the frigate to order them forward for an operation. The LRMV provides additional missile firepower and can also be used so the frigate can operate a larger inventory of missiles. That makes it clear that the LRMV is a support ship, not a warship. The LRMV has no fire control equipment and depends on encrypted signals from the frigates about where the targets are and when to fire on them. At the moment this is all theoretical, but tests of ships handling fire control for missiles fired from a barge or merchant ships have demonstrated that it can work. LRMV can also be equipped with hundreds of drones, to be used for swarm attacks that can overwhelm an enemy ship’s defenses. China is already experimenting with drone carriers that can launch multiple swarm attacks.
The Ukraine War has already provided lots of examples of how to successfully use naval drones. As early as 2022 Ukrainian water-going drones included Sea Baby, Mother, and MAGURA. At the end of 2023 Cossack Mother, with a top speed of 100 kilometers an hour, entered service. Manufacture of these drones is done in underground facilities to avoid Russian missile and guided bomb attacks.
Sea Baby carrying 850 kg of explosives was used in the mid-2023 Kerch Bridge attack. MAGURA carries 320 kg of explosives while Mother carries 450 kg. These drones are no longer used just for delivering explosives against a target, they can also be used for reconnaissance when equipped with video cameras that broadcast what they see back to the drone operator. Some drones have been armed with small rocket launchers or surface-to-air missiles. Malyuk has a range of over 700 kilometers, which means it is suitable for operations on the high seas. Endurance is about 60 hours, and top speed is over 70 kilometers an hour. MAGURA has similar characteristics. Mamai was used in the long-range attacks on the distant naval base at Novorossiysk on Russia’s Black Sea eastern, which is a thousand kilometers from Crimea. Such Ukrainian sea drones have shot down Russian aircraft. Ukraine builds 96 percent of its drones in local factories. The other four percent are sent by NATO countries.
The aggressive and successful use of Ukrainian drones against the Russian Black Sea fleet was unprecedented in the history of naval warfare. Not only were these drones tactically successful, but financially as well. For example, new frigates cost about $1.5 billion each. That much money can also pay for 5,000 drones. Destroyers cost twice as much as frigates. The frigates and destroyers are high seas ships that can travel all over the world. The drones operate in coastal waters although some of the larger drones can operate up to a thousand kilometers from where they were launched. These drones carry video cameras and satellite-based communications systems to collect information and, in peacetime, do so without fear of attack. Severe storms are another matter, but any storm damage will be broadcast as it is happening, at least until the video cameras or communications equipment is disabled.
Ukrainian naval drones and land based missiles destroyed over a third of the Russian Black Sea Fleet and forced the survivors to take shelter at Russian ports over a thousand kilometers from Crimea. While Russia still occupies Crimea, the area is under siege by Ukrainian naval drones and land based missiles. Soon Russia will no longer be able to supply Crimea because of this. The Kerch Strait bridge from Russia to Crimea is in bad shape and can only allow limited truck traffic. By the end of 2024 Russia had withdrawn all its ships from Crimea and shut down its ship repair facilities. Ukraine has the means to demolish what is left of the bridge whenever they want to. This will happen when Ukraine decides to blockade Crimea and force the Russians to abandon the peninsula because they cannot supply it.
The only effective protection from naval drone attacks is the installation of multiple 25mm or 30mm automatic cannon gun mounts that are automated and use advanced AI and sensors. The guns can point downward towards waters close to the hull. This makes it possible for the autocannon to fire on naval drones that get very close to the ship. Russia has been using weapons like this, from ships as well as helicopters. These are the same helicopters that also drop aerial attack drones to destroy Ukrainian naval drones.