- Another milestone in the evolving nature of naval warfare. Wartime conditions consistently drive innovation, compelling armed forces to adopt unfamiliar solutions. The reported downing of a Su-30 by an AIM-9 missile launched from a Magura V7 USV is significant, raising several critical questions.
- 🚨🚨🚨 Naval News can confirm that a Sidewinder-armed Magura V7 surface drone (USV) shot down two Russian Su-30 FLANKER jets. This is the first time that the V7 variant has been revealed to the public 🇺🇦💥🇷🇺 @covertshores.bsky.social has the story (and the picture) 👇 www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2...
- One of the fundamental principles of modern warfare is to maintain standoff distance to the effective range of enemy weapon systems. In this case, either the intelligence failed to detect that the USV was equipped with an air-defense capability, or the aircraft's missile warning and +
- +countermeasure systems failed to respond effectively. Both scenarios point to serious operational oversights. Another dimension worth examining is the technical feasibility. USVs are inherently small and more susceptible to sea state, leading to higher roll and pitch compared to larger platforms.
- Successfully launching a heat-seeking missile like the Sidewinder from a relatively unstable platform is a significant engineering challenge.
- This incident not only highlights a tactical surprise but also signals a broader shift in naval warfare, where even small unmanned platforms can pose a credible threat to advanced fighter jet.
