NATO will be able to arm “Trojan” ships with drones
28.06.2024 - 12:31
Civilian ships could soon be carrying “flocks of attack drones” to counter Yemen’s Houthis and the Russians.
German defense contractor Rheinmetall has developed a new weapon: a standard shipping container that holds 126 attack drones. This is reported by the Telegraph.
Other companies are also studying this concept, which can significantly affect the tactics of conducting naval battles. Although drones are not new, they are becoming the main means of carrying out various military tasks, from logistics to strikes. They are cheaper, which is important in the conditions of limited defense budgets of NATO countries.
Defense training against UAV attacks lasted decades. NATO already has experience countering Iran’s drone “swarms” in the Persian Gulf. However, defense against container-launched drones is a new challenge. Modern radars can handle 126 drones, but defense systems may lack missiles and bullets to shoot down UAVs.
Drones in containers will be difficult to detect, especially if they are in civilian ports. At the same time, such ships can launch many drones that jam systems and provide data for further strikes by anti-ship missiles. For example, this is how the Defense Forces of Ukraine sank the Russian flagship “Moscow” in the Black Sea.
If drones penetrate the defenses of an enemy ship, they probably won’t sink the ship, but they don’t need to. A single drone hitting, say, the Sampson radar of a Type 45 destroyer would disable that system and render the ship unable to perform its primary functions. From a combat perspective, this can be as effective as sinking an enemy ship.
At the same time, technically, nothing would prevent such containers from being installed on a “civilian” ship. A merchant ship releasing a swarm of drones can pose a serious threat to an adversary at sea. If a ship suddenly changes course to approach enemy ships, this may be a sign of danger. Defending against a swarm of drones is difficult, but it is tempting to consider using them for your own offensive purposes.
Previously, USM wrote that Iran turned a container ship into a drone carrier. It is called a “mobile naval city” (mobile naval city). The ship is currently in service with the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps.
