Sea Drone "Aircraft Carrier" Debuted By Ukrainian Navy

Not only can the Magura MV11 stay at sea for over a week - far longer than a smaller sea drone - but it can launch 18 drones at a variety of targets making the mistake of entering its kill zone or even seeking out those it suspects of being vulnerable. 

This means enhanced lethality and a new threat for the already depleted Russian navy to try to defend against. JL

Ellie Cook reports in Newsweek:

Ukraine has debuted a new sea drone - the Magura MV11 - able to carry and launch 18 uncrewed UAVs or USVs from the open water, earning the nickname of the world's first "drone aircraft carrier." The Magura MV11 is "not simply the largest maritime drone," it's a "single carrier capable of transporting and launching other unmanned systems far from shore for operations across all domains." The drone can stay up to a week at sea, and ferry up to 2,200 kilograms of sensors, fuel, missiles or other drones. It can carry up to 18 Sting interceptor drones—each with explosive warheads—and has a fixed camera which helps pilots navigate. "This weapon can hang around an area a long way from base and for far longer than a solo drone could manage. This means that, instead of reacting to an incoming threat, the weapon denies the enemy access to the area in the first place."

Ukraine has debuted a new sea drone able to carry and launch other uncrewed vehicles from the open water, quickly earning the nickname of the world's first "drone aircraft carrier."

The MV11, made by Ukrainian defense start-up UFORCE, was unveiled during a parade of ground, aerial and naval drones in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, on Monday, as the country marked its independence day. 

"We are confident that the MV11 will become the backbone of many successful missions and contribute to further pushing back the enemy," the chief executive of UFORCE, Oleh Rohynskyi, said in comments to Ukraine's specialist Militarnyi outlet. 

Kyiv does not have a major navy or large warships, but its military, security and intelligence agencies have wielded long-range missiles, as well as airborne and waterborne drones, to hit a variety of Russian targets in the Black Sea.

An image of the Magura MV11 sea drone, which its manufacturer, UFORCE, said was shown in public on Monday, August 24, 2026, as Ukraine marked its inde... | UFORCE

Sea drones are often used as kamikaze weapons, producing dramatic footage of the waterborne platforms smashing into Russian ships costing far more than the unmanned systems. But they're also deployed to scope out potential targets or carry out reconnaissance missions around a particular area. 

Sea drones travel very low in the water and often blend in with the signatures picked up by radar systems, making them difficult for many of Russia's defenses to pick up when they're about to come under attack. 

After Ukraine's success, Russia has invested in creating its own fleet of Unscrewed Surface Vessels (USVs), and Estonian intelligence has warned Russia is now carving out attack-focused USV units across all of its naval fleets and its Caspian Flotilla.

UFORCE is famed for producing the Magura collection of sea drones mainly used by Kyiv's GUR military intelligence agency to menace Russian ships in the Black Sea. Ukraine's SBU domestic security agency has opted for the similarly well-known SeaBaby design of USV. 

Nine Ukrainian USVs glided down the Dnieper River in the Ukrainian capital on Monday during independence day celebrations.

One of the Magura USVs became the first drone to destroy a flying target from an unmanned naval platform when it shot down a Russian Su-30 fighter jet in May 2025, Kyiv says.

What is The Magura MV11 Marine Drone?

The Magura MV11 is the latest—and largest—in the family of Magura drones.

The Magura models have been repeatedly upgraded; some are fitted with machine guns and surface-to-air missiles. 

The Magura MV11 is "not simply the largest maritime drone," Rohynskyi said. It's a "single carrier capable of transporting and launching other unmanned systems far from shore for operations across all domains," he added.

The drone can stay up to a week at sea, and ferry up to 2,200 kilograms of sensors, fuel, missiles or other drones, according to Ukrainian media.

The MV11 can carry up to 18 Sting interceptor drones—each with small explosive warheads—and has a fixed camera which, like on other USVs, helps pilots navigate, The War Zone reported.

How Will the Magura MV11 Help Ukraine?

It's unlikely to significantly change how Ukraine already uses its vast, cutting-edge drone fleets against Russian targets, but it will be a "useful addition to their forces in the Black Sea," said U.K.-based drone expert, Steve Wright. 

"This is a weapon that can hang around in an area a long way from base and for far longer than a solo drone could manage," he told Newsweek. "This means that, instead of reacting to an incoming threat, the weapon immediately denies the enemy access to the area in the first place."

All of the technology built into this "drone aircraft carrier" has been around for some time, meaning it's not a mammoth task to piece it all together within this one platform, he added.

NATO, meanwhile, is paying close attention to how Ukraine is using these naval drones. The alliance has explicitly said it is "taking lessons from Ukraine," and a joint NATO-Ukrainian organization said in July that Ukrainian military experts had briefed dozens of NATO and affiliated officials on how Kyiv uses USVs in the Black Sea.

U.S.-based ReconCraft, which makes boats for special operations forces, will make Magura USVs in the U.S.—including at sites in Oregon and South Carolina—after signing a memorandum of understanding in Washington in July, The Wall Street Journal reported last month.