The Swarm Cometh: Sea-Based Drones and the Navy’s New Reality
We used to talk about asymmetric warfare in hushed tones, something for PowerPoint briefings and academic papers. Now, itβs just Tuesday. These videos coming out β they paint a clear picture: the age of unchallenged naval dominance is over. Forget carrier strike groups as the ultimate power projection; we’re staring down the barrel of something far cheaper, far more expendable, and potentially overwhelming: drone swarms at sea. This isnβt some future sci-fi nightmare. Itβs happening now, in the Red Sea, the Black Sea, and potentially anywhere with a coastline and a grudge. These aren’t theoretical threats anymore. Theyβre combat reports.
Key Takeaways: Drones at Sea – A Clear and Present Danger
Iran’s Shadow Fleet (Video 1): Khamenei posturing is nothing new, but the video highlights a critical shift. Iran isn’t just talking about asymmetric threats; they’re actively developing and deploying sea-based drones, and openly boasting about surveilling US warships. This isn’t about winning a conventional naval battle. It’s about harassment, attrition, and forcing us to constantly react and expend resources. The psychological impact alone is significant.
Houthi Drone Barrage (Video 2 & 5): The Red Sea isn’t just some shipping lane anymore; it’s a proving ground for drone warfare. Houthi attacks, backed by Iran, are consistently targeting commercial and military vessels with drones and missiles. "26th time since November" β that’s not an isolated incident; that’s a campaign. Norfolk-based ships shooting down drones is good, but itβs also a drain. Each intercept is a missile expended against a relatively cheap drone. The math isn’t in our favor long-term. And the "bullseye" claim, even if propaganda, underscores the increasing accuracy and threat.
Ukraine’s Black Sea Success (Video 3 & 4): Ukraine, without a traditional navy, has effectively crippled Russia’s Black Sea Fleet using sea-based drones and land-based missiles. This is the real wake-up call. The Black Sea conditions might favor drones, as the video suggests, but the core lesson is undeniable: drones can sink warships. Hitting Russian ships in the Caspian Sea, 1500km away, is a bold move and demonstrates the increasing range and capability of these systems. It also exposes the vulnerability of even heavily defended naval assets.
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Monitoring the Threat (Video 6): Saildrone’s work on "near-realtime monitoring" is crucial but also highlights the scale of the problem. Tracking drones at sea, especially in swarm scenarios, is a massive data challenge. "Thousands of miles from shore" β thatβs our operating environment. We need to be able to see these threats coming, and react faster than ever before. This isn’t just about shooting down drones; it’s about persistent surveillance and situational awareness in a rapidly evolving battlespace.
Analysis: The Asymmetry Gap and the Swarm Advantage
What these videos collectively scream is that the cost-benefit analysis of naval warfare is shifting dramatically. Building a multi-billion dollar warship to counter a few thousand dollar drone is a losing proposition. Our traditional naval doctrine, built around carrier power and open-ocean dominance, is being challenged by a decentralized, low-cost, and highly adaptable threat.
The swarm tactic isn’t about individual drone capability; it’s about overwhelming defenses through sheer numbers. Think about it: a handful of drones might be easy to swat down. But dozens? Hundreds? Saturate the radar, exhaust the missile defenses, and even a few hits can cripple a major warship. And these aren’t just kamikaze drones. Surveillance drones, loitering munitions, underwater drones β the toolbox is expanding rapidly.
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This isn’t to say aircraft carriers are obsolete, as video 3 rightly points out regarding air radar coverage. But they are undeniably more vulnerable, and the calculus of deploying them is changing. We canβt just rely on bigger ships and more expensive defenses. We need to adapt our tactics, develop counter-drone technologies, and rethink naval force structure for this new reality. Ignoring this shift is strategic malpractice.
Reality Check: Adapting or Sinking
The videos are stark reminders: this isn’t a future problem; it’s the current operational environment. Drone swarms aren’t just a "Navy’s Nightmare"; they are a naval reality. We need to get past the hype and the fear-mongering and get serious about adapting. That means investing in layered defenses, developing our own offensive drone capabilities, and fundamentally rethinking how we project power at sea. The old rules of naval engagement are being rewritten in real-time, and if we don’t learn to read the new map, we’re going to find ourselves dead in the water.
Scroll down to see video highlights and dive deeper into this unfolding threat.
Explore the videos below
Khameneiβs Drones To Destroy American Warships? Iranβs 3rd Big Hint Of Naval Attack: βEnemy At Seaβ¦βWorldIn30Sec1,833 views | 19 | November 7 2024 16:30:08 (0 comments)[ Read more … ]
#worldin30sec #Khamenei #IranVsUSA #Israel Iran claims to have U.S. warships under constant surveillance in the Middle East, with drones reportedly “watching every move” of American and Israeli forces. As Iranian-backed Houthis unveil new underwater drones, tensions soar amid Israel’s airstrikes on Tehranβs missile sites. Is Tehran preparing a powerful sea-based response? #IranWarships #USIranConflict #IranVsIsrael #Khamenei #NavalShowdown #DroneSurveillance #IranVsUSA #Israel
Norfolk-based ships help shoot down Houthi drones, rockets in Red Seas13News Now39,915 views | 162 | January 11 2024 00:33:18 (24 comments)[ Read more … ]
U.S. Central Command said it was the 26th time that Iran-backed Houthi rebels had launched an attack in the Red Sea since November. Full story: https://www.13newsnow.com/article/news/national/military-news/us-navy-led-by-fa-18-super-hornets-from-uss-eisenhower-shoot-down-houthi-drones-rockets/291-a1f9c894-c001-42a0-9f23-2ccf76a12916 Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/user/WVECTV/?sub_confirmation=1 Download the 13News Now App: http://bit.ly/13NewsNowApp Check out our website: https://www.13newsnow.com/ Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/13NewsNow/ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/13newsnow Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/13newsnow/
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Ukraine βwithout a fleetβ beats Russia at sea, but drones won’t replace aircraft carriersKanal139,256 views | 223 | August 8 2024 15:59:07 (6 comments)[ Read more … ]
#Kanal13β #likekanal13β #subscribekanal13 #warinukraine https://www.youtube.com/user/kanal13az?sub_confirmation=1 – SUBSCRIBE TO US! Ukraine has beaten Russia at sea without any warships, a remarkable achievement. But that doesn’t mean conventional warships are obsolete – and it’s certainly no reason to abandon aircraft carriers, according to former British naval officer Tom Sharp in The Telegraph.
First, the Russian Black Sea Fleet was severely limited by its need to operate from bases very close to Ukrainian-controlled territory. Sevastopol and Novorossiysk are within range of Ukraineβs arsenal of ground-based drones and Western-supplied missiles. Most of the ships destroyed by Ukrainian drones and missiles were hit while they were on board or at anchor.
Secondly, the Black Sea does not create very large waves. A high-speed sea drone is theoretically faster than a ship. The conditions of the Black Sea give the Ukrainians an advantage.
Third, in naval warfare, it is critical to have access to airborne radar that can cover hundreds of miles of sea. Radar on a ship cannot see low-flying objects or objects floating beyond its horizon. Russia has been unable to deploy any of its Tupolev-142 maritime patrol aircraft to the theater of operationsβit needs them all in the north to ensure the safety of its nuclear deterrent submarines. The Russians lost a precious A-50 radar surveillance plane over the Sea of Azov in January, and then another deep in Russian airspace in February.
This means that Russiaβs Black Sea Fleet cannot monitor the movements of Ukrainian drones or grain ships in the western Black Sea. With the proper radar picture from the air, Russia would detect drone attacks as soon as they left the harbor or even earlier, and they could then be intercepted long before they reached their targets.
NATO is unlikely to carry out such attacks. This is one of the main reasons why navies need aircraft carriers: to carry radar planes, which are the only way to scan large areas of sea and sky. The alternative is air bases on land, but these cannot move, making them perfect targets for drones and missiles. In any naval war, there may not be a single land base available.
Fourthly, the Black Sea Fleet ignores one of the basic principles of naval maneuver – echeloned defense.
“Anyone who suggests that Ukraine’s success with land-based attack drones will change the nature of naval warfare and/or make the Navy obsolete either doesn’t understand the Black Sea, the general nature of naval warfare… or actually wants a Navy budget. The same goes for many critics of aircraft carriers,” Sharp concluded. http://youtube.com/kanal13az/join – click here and support Kanal13 monthly for distributing more videos and independent journalism
KANAL13 [ AzΙrbaycanΔ±n ilk peΕΙkar internet televiziyasΔ± ] The First Internet TV of Azerbaijan
Tags: #Ukriane, #Russia, #Putin, #Putler, #Russian invasion of Ukraine, #Zelenski, #Kiev, #Kyiv, #Kadirov army, #Kadirov, #Kherson, #Bucha, #Kharkiv, #Ukrainian pilots, #vagners, #Russian tanks, #NATO, #drones, #Moscow, #Kreml, #war victims #Ukraina, News, The Washington Post, waPo Video, Washington Post Video, Washington Post YouTube, a:politics, aid, biden, putin, s:Politics, support, t:Other, Ukraine, war, fact check, news coverage, Donald Trump, news, wp video, forbes, nytimes, newspaper, media, journalism, Ilham Aliyev, Baku, Azerbaijan, Israel, Gaza, Palestine, Tel-Aviv, Garabag, Karabakh, football, ronaldo, messi, brian tyler cohen
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Ukrainian drones hit Russian ships in Caspian Sea for the first timeKanal1339,684 views | 764 | November 6 2024 16:00:56 (41 comments)[ Read more … ]
#Kanal13β #likekanal13β #subscribekanal13 #warinukraine https://www.youtube.com/user/kanal13az?sub_confirmation=1 – SUBSCRIBE TO US! As a result of an innovative special operation, the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine managed to defeat the Russian flotilla in the Caspian Sea for the first time. The distance from the state border of Ukraine to the target is about 1,500 kilometers.
As Unian media outlet was informed by intelligence sources, the attack with the help of kamikaze drones took place on the morning of November 6. As a result of the UAV strikes, at least two objects in the city of Kaspiysk, in the Republic of Dagestan were damaged. In particular, these are probably the missile ships “Tatarstan” and “Dagestan”. Small missile ships of Project 21631 were also probably damaged.
According to media reports, coastal troops, including marines, are based at the damaged facility. The attacked flotilla launched missile strikes against Ukraine, and the 177th Marine Regiment took part in battles in the Kherson and Zaporizhia regions.
Also, according to the source, as a result of the operations, the airport in Makhachkala has also been suspended.
Andrii Kovalenko, the head of the Center for Counteracting Disinformation of Ukraine says that the port in the Russian city of Kaspiysk was attacked. In particular, according to Kovalenko, ships of the Russian Navy are located in Kaspiysk. Kaspiysk is the main base of the Red Banner Caspian Flotilla of the Russian Navy. It is located in Dagestan, 15 km from Makhachkala. According to open sources, Russian coastal troops, including the naval infantry, are stationed here. The garrison consists of about 1,500 personnel. In particular, the following are located in Kaspiysk: A landing pad where ships and hovercraft, previously part of the 242nd Landing Ship Division, are stationed. These vessels, no longer part of the fleet, are used for marine infantry training. Fuel and lubricant bases. An arsenal for coastal troops. A training range. http://youtube.com/kanal13az/join – click here and support Kanal13 monthly for distributing more videos and independent journalism
KANAL13 [ AzΙrbaycanΔ±n ilk peΕΙkar internet televiziyasΔ± ] The First Internet TV of Azerbaijan
Tags: #Ukriane, #Russia, #Putin, #Putler, #Russian invasion of Ukraine, #Zelenski, #Kiev, #Kyiv, #Kadirov army, #Kadirov, #Kherson, #Bucha, #Kharkiv, #Ukrainian pilots, #vagners, #Russian tanks, #NATO, #drones, #Moscow, #Kreml, #war victims #Ukraina, News, The Washington Post, waPo Video, Washington Post Video, Washington Post YouTube, a:politics, aid, biden, putin, s:Politics, support, t:Other, Ukraine, war, fact check, news coverage, Donald Trump, news, wp video, forbes, nytimes, newspaper, media, journalism, Ilham Aliyev, Baku, Azerbaijan, Israel, Gaza, Palestine, Tel-Aviv, Garabag, Karabakh, football, ronaldo, messi, brian tyler cohen
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Houthi Drones ‘Hit Bull’s Eye’? Missile Barrage Attack UK Ship In Red Sea| Watch Militants In ActionTIMES NOW5,329 views | 70 | February 21 2024 07:55:27 (1 comments)[ Read more … ]
The Houthi rebels are in total revenge mode over Israel’s raging war in the Gaza Strip. The Iranian proxy has once again attacked a ship in the Red Sea. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said that the vessel sustained damage after being hit by a drone. Watch this video for more information on the Red Sea battle. #houthi #gaza 3uk #israel #worldnews #latestupdates #timesnow
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“Near-Realtime Monitoring of Drones at Sea” by Todd BealmearStrange Loop Conference2,559 views | 65 | October 19 2021 14:28:56 (0 comments)[ Read more … ]
Saildrone designs, manufactures and operates a fleet of wind and solar-powered autonomous science vehicles which make cost-effective ocean data collection possible at scale. Our vehicles are capable of operating in exotic locales, in less than hospitable conditions, for long endurance missions. In this talk, weβll discuss some of the challenges associated with monitoring drones at sea and the systems weβve built to help operators keep tabs on the health of the fleet thousands of miles from shore over satellite communications.
Todd Bealmear Saildrone @toddbealmear
Todd Bealmear is the engineering manager of the Fleet Operations Software team at Saildrone. Prior to that, he was a senior engineer at Saildrone who built and maintained many of the early systems that powered the company. Todd currently cohabitates in Oakland with an elderly Dachshund.
Recorded at Strange Loop 2021 https://thestrangeloop.com
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