[Goose]

This article from WSJ discusses Ukrainian sea drone deployment of mines, their attacks on Sevastopol harbor, and the attack on the Kerch bridge.

https://www.wsj.com/world/naval-drones-i...a-ce35adfa

The mine laying capability seems to have been developed to counteract anti-drone netting and protections of Sevastopol harbor, and has been very effective, even damaging a Russian anti- mine ship.

Not mentioned in the article is Ukrainian deployment of anti-air missiles on these drones. Standoff weaponry such as MLRS and grenade launchers mentioned in passing.

The whole article is worth reading. I quoted in particular the mine aspect as it pertains to above discussion.

Ukraine has sunk or damaged around two dozen Russian ships of all sizes using explosive drones or mines delivered by low-slung craft about the size of a small fishing boat. Sea drones caused severe damage to a bridge from Russia to occupied Crimea that Russia used to supply its forces in Ukraine. Ukraine has also targeted Russian ships and port facilities with missiles provided by the West.

As a result, Russia has dispersed the bulk of its Black Sea Fleet far from Sevastopol. Ukraine has been able to restart exports worth billions from its main port of Odesa. Missiles launched from Russian ships take longer to reach Ukraine, giving air-defense crews critical extra time to intercept them. Russia has relocated reconnaissance planes, jet fighters, helicopters, aerial drones and electronic-jamming systems from the front lines to counter Ukraine’s sea drones, easing the pressure on Ukraine’s embattled ground forces.

.....
Lukashevych was already planning another operation. The Russians had built larger barriers at the entrance to the port in Sevastopol, all but ruling out sea-drone strikes there. So he came up with an alternative: laying sea mines.

Lukashevych’s team built a special SeaBaby that could lay mines that Ukraine had received from a Western partner. The so-called bottom mines are made of plastic and weigh about 400 pounds and are hard to find as they nestle into the mud under shallow water. They use acoustic and electromagnetic sensors to detect the presence of a ship, triggering a detonation. 

For a month and a half, the team tracked the routes taken by naval ships and civilian traffic, before sending a SeaBaby to lay two mines. On Sept. 14, the Samum, a guided-missile corvette, triggered one of the mines, which ripped a hole in its stern. The boat is still under repair in dry dock.

The SeaBaby went back and forth in the following weeks, covering more than 3,000 miles as it laid about 15 more mines. During one of the trips, detected by three Raptor-class patrol boats, it fired back with a grenade launcher, scattering the enemy craft.

On Oct. 11, an explosion tore into the side of the Pavel Derzhavin, a large patrol boat, as it was entering Sevastopol Bay. It limped into port for checks.

The Pavel Derzhavin was dispatched to another port for repairs on Oct. 13, but hit a mine as it left Sevastopol Bay. A large tugboat dispatched to rescue the ship, but also struck a mine and had to be towed back to port itself.

Days later, an explosion hit a modern anti-mine ship, one of only two in Russian service.

Thanks for including the quote. I don't subscribe to the WSJ so I will have to wait for a reprint. There are apparently more mines out there waiting to sink something Russian. The payload estimate for the "surface warfare" Sea Baby is 1850 lbs. That could mean four 400 lb mines per trip, best case. Initially Ukraine was apparently carrying two, but that undoubtedly can be improved upon. I don't know what Russia is doing to prevent mines being placed around routes into the port of Novorossiysk. Presumably it is not in a state of defense (yet). It is a long way, but if Ukraine could build some "long range" mine-laying drones they could shut the port. That would get Russia's attention in a big way!

Sea Baby drones are small enough and low enough in the water they are hard to see. When maneuvering at reasonable speed (particularly when attacking) they do leave a very noticeable wake. Aircraft, particularly helicopters, should make short work of them. Unfortunately for Russia the vast majority of their helicopter-capable ships are underwater. Sea Baby drones are also far from noiseless. Back "in the day" Russia had a very strong maritime patrol program that used both TU-95s and IL-38s to drop vast arrays of sonobuoys. The saying was that the TU-95s flying to Cuba and back dropped so many buoys one could walk from Leningrad to Havana without getting their feet wet. Apparently Russia no longer has that capability, at least that we have seen. They also have nothing like SOSUS in the Black Sea. Some of their ships had "tails" (towed arrays), but most of them are not afloat anymore. The Kilos do not carry towed arrays. Their hull-mounted passive sonar probably isn't sensitive enough to hunt Sea Baby drones.

Sea Baby drones can minimize their wake and acoustic signature by going slow. That is why mine-laying is much safer for them. They already are going "back and forth" as the article states. They don't need to go fast. Remaining undetected is the goal. There are other mine-warfare technologies Ukraine can use. As an example, commercial ships that carry "innocent" cargo can also lay mines. That was done in both WW I and WW II. These mines in the shipping lanes really do deter trade as nobody knows how many, how they got there or who did it. Ukraine is inventive. They should pursue mine warfare at the highest priority.

[Goose]

This article from WSJ discusses Ukrainian sea drone deployment of mines, their attacks on Sevastopol harbor, and the attack on the Kerch bridge.

https://www.wsj.com/world/naval-drones-i...a-ce35adfa

The mine laying capability seems to have been developed to counteract anti-drone netting and protections of Sevastopol harbor, and has been very effective, even damaging a Russian anti- mine ship.

Not mentioned in the article is Ukrainian deployment of anti-air missiles on these drones. Standoff weaponry such as MLRS and grenade launchers mentioned in passing.

The whole article is worth reading. I quoted in particular the mine aspect as it pertains to above discussion.

Ukraine has sunk or damaged around two dozen Russian ships of all sizes using explosive drones or mines delivered by low-slung craft about the size of a small fishing boat. Sea drones caused severe damage to a bridge from Russia to occupied Crimea that Russia used to supply its forces in Ukraine. Ukraine has also targeted Russian ships and port facilities with missiles provided by the West.

As a result, Russia has dispersed the bulk of its Black Sea Fleet far from Sevastopol. Ukraine has been able to restart exports worth billions from its main port of Odesa. Missiles launched from Russian ships take longer to reach Ukraine, giving air-defense crews critical extra time to intercept them. Russia has relocated reconnaissance planes, jet fighters, helicopters, aerial drones and electronic-jamming systems from the front lines to counter Ukraine’s sea drones, easing the pressure on Ukraine’s embattled ground forces.

.....
Lukashevych was already planning another operation. The Russians had built larger barriers at the entrance to the port in Sevastopol, all but ruling out sea-drone strikes there. So he came up with an alternative: laying sea mines.

Lukashevych’s team built a special SeaBaby that could lay mines that Ukraine had received from a Western partner. The so-called bottom mines are made of plastic and weigh about 400 pounds and are hard to find as they nestle into the mud under shallow water. They use acoustic and electromagnetic sensors to detect the presence of a ship, triggering a detonation. 

For a month and a half, the team tracked the routes taken by naval ships and civilian traffic, before sending a SeaBaby to lay two mines. On Sept. 14, the Samum, a guided-missile corvette, triggered one of the mines, which ripped a hole in its stern. The boat is still under repair in dry dock.

The SeaBaby went back and forth in the following weeks, covering more than 3,000 miles as it laid about 15 more mines. During one of the trips, detected by three Raptor-class patrol boats, it fired back with a grenade launcher, scattering the enemy craft.

On Oct. 11, an explosion tore into the side of the Pavel Derzhavin, a large patrol boat, as it was entering Sevastopol Bay. It limped into port for checks.

The Pavel Derzhavin was dispatched to another port for repairs on Oct. 13, but hit a mine as it left Sevastopol Bay. A large tugboat dispatched to rescue the ship, but also struck a mine and had to be towed back to port itself.

Days later, an explosion hit a modern anti-mine ship, one of only two in Russian service.

Thanks for including the quote. I don't subscribe to the WSJ so I will have to wait for a reprint. There are apparently more mines out there waiting to sink something Russian. The payload estimate for the "surface warfare" Sea Baby is 1850 lbs. That could mean four 400 lb mines per trip, best case. Initially Ukraine was apparently carrying two, but that undoubtedly can be improved upon. I don't know what Russia is doing to prevent mines being placed around routes into the port of Novorossiysk. Presumably it is not in a state of defense (yet). It is a long way, but if Ukraine could build some "long range" mine-laying drones they could shut the port. That would get Russia's attention in a big way!

Sea Baby drones are small enough and low enough in the water they are hard to see. When maneuvering at reasonable speed (particularly when attacking) they do leave a very noticeable wake. Aircraft, particularly helicopters, should make short work of them. Unfortunately for Russia the vast majority of their helicopter-capable ships are underwater. Sea Baby drones are also far from noiseless. Back "in the day" Russia had a very strong maritime patrol program that used both TU-95s and IL-38s to drop vast arrays of sonobuoys. The saying was that the TU-95s flying to Cuba and back dropped so many buoys one could walk from Leningrad to Havana without getting their feet wet. Apparently Russia no longer has that capability, at least that we have seen. They also have nothing like SOSUS in the Black Sea. Some of their ships had "tails" (towed arrays), but most of them are not afloat anymore. The Kilos do not carry towed arrays. Their hull-mounted passive sonar probably isn't sensitive enough to hunt Sea Baby drones.

Sea Baby drones can minimize their wake and acoustic signature by going slow. That is why mine-laying is much safer for them. They already are going "back and forth" as the article states. They don't need to go fast. Remaining undetected is the goal. There are other mine-warfare technologies Ukraine can use. As an example, commercial ships that carry "innocent" cargo can also lay mines. That was done in both WW I and WW II. These mines in the shipping lanes really do deter trade as nobody knows how many, how they got there or who did it. Ukraine is inventive. They should pursue mine warfare at the highest priority.