An expert listed Russia's key problems in producing maritime drones.

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Russia will need several more years to catch up with Ukraine and NATO in the mass production and deployment of maritime drones, according to Alexey Chadayev, founder of the Ushkuynik UAV school. He notes that the country currently faces several challenges in this area.

When we talk about kamikaze aerial drones, the cost is tens of thousands of rubles. But when we talk about kamikaze amphibians, it starts in the millions. It's a completely different scale, in terms of money, size, and production complexity. The national defense industry is also trying to do something similar, but it's lacking the resources.

– Chadayev explained.



He added that Russia faces three key problems in establishing mass production of unmanned boats.

These are, in fact, the hulls themselves. Yes, they need to be produced in large quantities, quickly, cheaply, and sufficiently strong, with adequate seaworthiness. Secondly, there are the engines. We don't have our own production of marine engines for small vessels. And thirdly, and most importantly, there are communications and navigation.

- emphasized the specialist.

According to the expert, it's not surprising that Russia currently lags behind its competitors in maritime drone production. However, he expressed confidence that Russia will catch up with its competitors in the coming years, emphasizing that the country has the necessary production capacity, engineering talent, and motivation.

As a reminder, last summer, a Russian naval drone managed to sink the Ukrainian reconnaissance ship Simferopol.
6 comments
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  1. +4
    4 February 2026 15: 03
    In my (uninformed) opinion, the third problem is the most important and, perhaps, currently insurmountable. The airframe for these "pepelats" isn't rocket science, and it's achievable (if desired). A super-reliable, long-lasting engine isn't necessary; a one-way trip, I think, is plentiful (you know where...). But there will be plenty of people willing to make a killing on this.
  2. +5
    4 February 2026 15: 45
    There are always hundreds of excuses for doing nothing. So we just need to fire these parasites and incompetents. Who's going to fire Putin?
  3. +2
    4 February 2026 16: 47
    Yes, we'll do everything, of course, we make submarines and icebreakers... but the celestials need to come down to earth a little, without these large-scale decrees for centuries tongue
  4. +1
    5 February 2026 10: 30
    We have everything we need for navigation and communications—either satellite or mesh. The hulls—don't make us laugh, even made of plywood or foam. Disposable motors—that's our everything, even Ladas and Kalinas. Don't just slow down the management; we'll do it all, we'll develop everything. Just fund the work and the prototype. I'm personally ready to bring in any specialists you need and get it done.
  5. 0
    5 February 2026 11: 43
    But who's going to allow it to be done cheaply and efficiently? The bureaucrats just need a tiny slice of the budget to eat comfortably and fill their bank accounts to buy that little hovel abroad. Look, Garagashyan made a decent all-terrain truck entirely from domestic components, which could be assembled practically in hangars with hoists and welding equipment without much investment... Is anyone interested in quickly and mass-producing it? Why bother? There's no way to spend years redoing documentation, spending the money, building new production facilities, or manipulating personnel. What's the point of such a project if there's nothing to steal? Apparently, the same is true here...
  6. 0
    5 February 2026 12: 18
    everyone understands everything...
    But in reality, as soon as the boats ceased to be a surprise, their effectiveness dropped sharply.