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☆ US Navy 'Ghost Fleet' ships make first-of-its-kind visit in the Western Pacific as Pentagon looks to counter China's military mass with drones
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

US Navy drone boats made a first-of-its-kind visit to a key US ally in the Western Pacific. said Rear Adm. Blake Converse, deputy commander of US Pacific Fleet, in the statement. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe unmanned surface vessel Ranger transits the Pacific Ocean during Integrated Battle Problem (IBP) 23.2, Sep. 15, 2023. IBP 23.2 is a Pacific Fleet exercise to test, develop and evaluate the integration of unmanned platforms into fleet operations to create warfighting advantages. IBP 23.2 is a Pacific Fleet exercise to test, develop and evaluate the integration of unmanned platforms into fleet operations to create warfighting advantages.

Persons: Blake Converse, Jesse Monford IBP, Carl Vinson, Carlos Sardiello, Arleigh Burke, Jesse Monford, USVs, Kathleen Hicks, Hicks Organizations: Navy, Western Pacific, Pentagon, Service, Fleet, US Pacific Fleet, Pacific Fleet, US Marine Corps, Carrier, Initiative, DoD Locations: Western, Wall, Silicon, Western Pacific, Yokosuka, Japan, Pacific, Beijing, Washington, Taiwan

☆ Video of a cheap drone destroying an exposed T-72 hints Russian crews are still working out how to hide their tanks from a growing threat, former US general says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A video surfaced online showing a seemingly exposed Russian T-72 tank struck by an FPV drone. One former US Army general told Insider it may speak to larger issues within the Russian military. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe lack of such efforts and the certainly fatal results may reflect deeper, underlying issues for the Russian military. Russian and Ukrainian FPV drones are pummeling tanks while other drones drop bombs on soldiers. "This has never been a strong suit in the Russian Army, but they've lost so many of their experienced soldiers by now that the problem is even worse," he added.

Persons: James Stavridis, Mark Hertling, Ben Hodges, Hodges, could've, DIMITAR DILKOFF, they've, That's Organizations: US Army, Service, Ukraine, Moscow, US Navy, NATO, US, Getty, Russian Army Locations: Wall, Silicon, Russian, Ukraine, Europe, US Army Europe, Southern Russia, Caucasus, China, Iran, Pakistan, Myanmar, Soviet Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, AFP, Ukrainian, Russia

☆ Ukraine has a key bridge in its sights, and Russia is throwing whatever it can, from sunken ships to smoke screens, into trying to defend it
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia has set up a number of defenses to protect the Kerch Bridge from Ukrainian drone boat attacks. The protective measures include using smoke screens, sunken ships, and containment booms, intelligence indicates. The Kerch Bridge is a key supply and logistics line and a symbol of its influence over Crimea. The new defensive strategies for protecting the Kerch Bridge include purposefully sunken ships, smoke generators, and containment booms, among other things, according to Western intelligence. That has made the Kerch Bridge a symbol of Russian oppression of Ukraine and a key target for Ukrainian forces.

Persons: It's, Vladimir Putin's Organizations: Service, Getty, Ukrainian Locations: Russia, Kerch, Ukrainian, Crimea, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, AFP, Kerch Strait

☆ Russia sank ships to protect a key bridge from Ukraine's naval drones. It might not be enough to keep the small exploding vessels from hitting their targets.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russia is sinking ships to protect the Kerch Bridge to Crimea from Ukraine's naval drones. The barrier is estimated to be less than a mile in length — a small fraction of the massive 12-mile-long bridge. The ships Russia appears to be sinking were destined for the scrapyard, but could have been valuable for recycling parts. AdvertisementAdvertisementIn July, an explosion apparently caused by a surface drone rocked a section of the Kerch Bridge, wrecking the roadbed and killing two adults. With Crimea being among the most important territory for Kyiv to reclaim in the war, the Kerch Bridge is an important bond to sever.

Persons: Bryan Clark, —, Clark, Vladimir Putin, STRINGER Organizations: Service, Twitter, Russian Navy, US Navy, Hudson Institute, Getty, Russian, Kremlin, Ukrainian, Sig Locations: Russia, Kerch, Crimea, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, AFP, Ukrainian, Kyiv, Russian, Novorossiysk

☆ Exploding drone boats aren't hard to beat, but Russia's weak defenses are letting Ukraine blow up its ships
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Ukraine's recent waterborne drone attacks have shed light on weaknesses in Russian defenses. Prior to the hits on Olenegorsky Gornyak and Sig, previous naval drone attacks have terrorized Russian ships in the Black Sea. United 24/Ukrainian government'Too many to take out'With the drone attacks showing no sign of stopping, the questions become how Russia will respond. And if Russia does ramp up its defenses, it's likely that Ukraine will scale up the number of its drone boats. Operating a group of drone boats, Clark added, is more difficult given water conditions, weather, and the potential to ram into unintended targets.

Persons: Sutton, Gornyak, haven't, they're, Bryan Clark, Ulf Mauder, Clark, Shaposhnikov, Peter the, KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV Organizations: Service, Sig, US Navy, Hudson Institute, Russia's, Getty, intel Locations: Wall, Silicon, Russian, Russia, Novorossiysk, Ukraine, Sevastopol, Ukrainian, US, Persian, Israel, Peter the Great, Japan, Vladivostok, AFP, Crimea

☆ Ukraine doesn't have much of a navy, but it's found a way to hunt down the 'weakest links' in Russia's critical sea supply lanes, UK intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukrainian drones are attacking Russian ships and tankers, wrecking critical sea supply lanes. It's the latest incident involving Ukrainian sea drones hitting vital Russian naval targets, weakening sea supply lanes and proving Kyiv to be a scrappy, formidable naval force while lacking an actual fleet beyond some patrol boats. "The attacks show that USV operations are increasingly a major component of modern naval warfare and can be turned against the weakest links of Russia's sea supply lanes," the UK intel update said. Ukraine has made the development of sea drones a priority, even crowdfunding for what they call "the formation of the world's first naval fleet of drones." An expert previously told Insider the remotely operated, cheap-but-effective waterborne drones give Ukraine an "asymmetric advantage," stressing Russian defenses and resources.

Persons: Sig, Ukraine's USVs Organizations: UK intel, Kyiv, Service, Ukraine, UK Ministry of Defense, intel Locations: Russian, Kerch, UK, Wall, Silicon, Russia, Syria, Ukraine

☆ Russia wants school kids trained to operate combat drones, which have become an inescapable part of the Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Drones have been invaluable for both Ukraine and Russia, completing attacks and conducting reconnaissance. These assets, which come in all shapes and sizes, will have uses in the ongoing war against Ukraine and in future conflicts. Russia previously accused Ukraine of using long-range drones to strike bases deep inside Russian territory. Meanwhile, Russia has used drones for similar purposes, such as battlefield reconnaissance. Kyiv and other cities have repeatedly been battered by one-way explosive drones, like the Iranian-made Shaheds.

Persons: Narciso Contreras, They've, Scott Peterson, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Olga Maltseva, TB2, Russia's, Ukraine's Organizations: Service, UK Ministry of Defense, Ukraine, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Kremlin, CNN, PMC Wagner, PMC, Radio Free Radio Liberty Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Moscow, Kerch, Crimea, Ukraine's, Saint Petersburg, AFP, Ukrainian, Bakhmut

☆ Sea drones, missile strikes and blockade: Ukraine's counteroffensive in Crimea
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Ukraine War Analysis Sea drones and the counteroffensive in CrimeaOn Tuesday, Russia reported its forces had repelled a Ukrainian drone attack on Crimea. The reports highlight Ukraine’s counteroffensive in Crimea, which is being mostly waged through drone and long-range missile strikes. In the Black Sea, Ukraine has opened a new era of naval warfare by employing suicide sea drones — drones armed with explosives designed to ram into targets and detonate. On October 29, 2022, Ukraine used naval drones to attack Russian warships in the port of Sevastopol, home of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. The Crimean Peninsula is connected to Russian-occupied southern Ukraine through just three vulnerable main roads that pass through swampy areas.

Persons: Scott Savitz, Zelenskiy, Sutton, he's, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Medvedev, Yevheniia Horiunova, Vernadsky, EUTERS, Shamil Zhumatov, Michael, Archangel, Thomas Peter . Organizations: Russian, REUTERS, RAND Corporation, Fleet, Investment, Russian Navy, National University, Tourism Locations: Ukraine, Crimea, Russia, Ukrainian, Russian, Black, Sevastopol, Handout, Sea, Moscow, Crimean, NATO, Kyiv, Water, Crimea Crimea, Yalta, St, Thomas Peter . Crimea

☆ Drone boats give Ukraine a cheap, 'asymmetric' edge against Russia and may have just damaged a key bridge
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Waterborne drones are an inexpensive asset, giving Ukraine an "asymmetric" naval edge against Russia. Russia blamed Ukraine for using the drones to attack the Kerch Strait Bridge in Crimea on Monday. Waterborne drones are also inexpensive and devastating, and there are indications they were used to damage a key Russian bridge into Crimea. An anonymous source from Ukraine's Security Service also confirmed to CNN that Ukraine's naval drones carried out the attack, as did a state official. "Ukraine exploited its [the Kerch Strait Bridge] vulnerability by launching relatively cheap and inexpensive USVs in what turned out to be a successful attack," Bendett said.

Persons: There's, Samuel Bendett, —, Bendett Organizations: Service, Ukraine, Security Service, Ukraine's Security Service, CNN, Center for Naval Analyses, Russia, Kyiv, Getty Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Kerch, Crimea, Wall, Silicon, China, AFP, Moscow, Kyiv

☆ The counteroffensive in Crimea
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Ukraine War Analysis The counteroffensive in CrimeaOn Monday, Moscow reported an attack on the Crimean Bridge, a crucial artery connecting occupied Crimea with the Russian mainland. While he's been reticent about Ukraine's goals for their ongoing counteroffensive, president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said that Ukraine's forces will not rest until Crimea is brought back under Ukrainian control. Damage following an alleged attack on the Crimean Bridge that connects Russia with occupied Crimea, July 17, 2023. Russian President Vladimir Putin has made several visits to the peninsula throughout the war to underscore his claim that Crimea is Russian soil. Water in Crimea Crimea has historically relied on the North Crimean Canal, flowing in from the Ukrainian mainland, for up to 85% of the water it needs for crop irrigation, industry and drinking water.

Persons: he's, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Medvedev, Scott Savitz, Zelenskiy, Sutton, Yevheniia Horiunova, Vernadsky, EUTERS, Shamil Zhumatov, Michael, Archangel, Thomas Peter . Organizations: Russian, REUTERS, RAND Corporation, Fleet, Investment, Russian Navy, National University, Tourism Locations: Ukraine, Crimea, Moscow, Russian, Black, Sevastopol, Russia, Handout, NATO, Kyiv, Crimean, Sea, Crimea Crimea, Ukrainian, Yalta, St, Thomas Peter . Crimea

☆ Russia is painting dark stripes on its warships to make them look smaller and confuse Ukrainian drones, says expert
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia is painting some of its warships with camouflage stripes, an open-source analyst said. The ship might also appear smaller thanks to the dark paint against the water. In his own analysis, Sutton noted how dark the water often appears in such imagery, making it an effective camouflage for dark paint. The use of naval camouflage would be an interesting return for a tactic more associated with World War 1 and World War 2. The British navy pioneered the use of "dazzle" stripes and patterns in World War 1, as seen below on the USS Minneapolis, which were intended to confuse onlookers as to the speed and direction of vessels.

Persons: —, Sutton, KCHF.ru, Ivan Golubets, Sidharth, Kaushal, It's, Bismarck Organizations: Service, London's Royal United Services Institute, Russian Ministry of Defense, USS, Getty Locations: Russia, Russian, Sevastopol, Ukraine, Soviet, British, USS Minneapolis, Minneapolis, Hampton Roads , Virginia, USA, German

☆ Ukraine's military may not be able to retake Crimea, but it can make life hell for Russians there, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Retaking the peninsula would be tough, but Ukrainian forces can isolate it, two US experts say. Supplying Russian forces on the peninsula — including the Black Sea Fleet — would require far more airlift capacity than Russia has. "Rattled by attacks, short of supplies, and somewhat isolated, Russian forces in Crimea could become less capable." It is possible that Russia could devise some defense or countermeasure against USVs, especially if they have naval and air superiority over the Black Sea. Sapping the capabilities and morale of Russian forces by disrupting their supply lines is one thing.

☆ Ukraine's attack on one of Russia's most important bases shows Putin is losing his grip on the Black Sea
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Robert Farley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Sevastopol is vital to Russian power-projection in the Black Sea, the Mediterranean, and beyond. (The frigate, Admiral Makarov, became the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet upon the sinking of the cruiser Moskva). Moreover, Ukraine's access to Western anti-ship missiles has already made the Black Sea inhospitable for Russian ships. Russia's hold on the Black Sea slipsRussian President Vladimir Putin at a military parade in Sevastopol on May 9, 2014. In the longer-term, Russia's centuries-long grip on the Black Sea may well be slipping away, with potentially huge implications for Russia's role on the international stage.

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