| Sea Baby | |
| Type: | Unmanned surface vehicle |
| Origin: | Ukraine |
| Used By: | Security Service of Ukraine in conjunction with the 385th USV Brigade |
| Production Date: | 2023 |
| Unit Cost: | 8.5 million hryvnias[1] |
| Is Vehicle: | yes |
| Vehicle Range: | at least 1000 kilometres[2] |
| Speed: | 90 km/h |
| Primary Armament: | Explosive warhead (up to 850 kg) or 6 × RPV-16 thermobaric grenade launchers |
Sea Baby is a Ukrainian multi-purpose unmanned surface vehicle (USV) developed for use by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It is able to carry an explosive payload for use in kamikaze attacks, or equipped with other equipment loadouts for more specialised use.[3]
SBU brigadier general Lukashevych Ivan Volodymyrovych proposed the idea of the agency operating unmanned attack boats, and early USV models were designed in July 2022 in collaboration with specialists from the Ukrainian Navy and assorted private companies. Later, the SBU decided to develop drones independently, culminating in the Sea Baby design for operational use by the SBU, while what eventually became the MAGURA V5 became operated by the Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR).[3] While the GUR's smaller and more manoeuvrable MAGURA V5 is used designed primarily for striking warships operating at sea, the SBU designed the Sea Baby for a heavier payload, primarily to strike such static targets as ships docked in port.[4]
Models of the Sea Baby from late 2023 featured several redundant communications systems and carried explosive warheads up to 850 kg, compared to the 108 kg payloads from the earlier models.[3] The multiple redundant communications systems were intended to avoid repeating the incident wherein Starlink-dependent USVs of the SBU were left stranded during a mission to strike the Russian frigate Admiral Makarov docked at Sevastopol, after connectivity to Starlink in Crimea was declined by Elon Musk.[3] By the end of 2023, Sea Baby had transformed from a kamikaze attack vehicle to a multi-purpose platform capable of carrying different loadouts for various tasks, with examples including guided missile launchers and laser guidance systems, and in January 2024, the SBU revealed a variant of the Sea Baby equipped with six thermobaric launchers based on the RPV-16 design.[5] [6] [7]
Both the MAGURA V5 and Sea Baby were then inducted into the 385th USV Brigade after its formation as the world's first USV unit in August 2023 although their operatives were still GUR and SBU.[8]
On July 17, 2023, two Sea Baby USVs struck the Crimean Bridge, resulting in damage to the abutment and bridge span.[3] [9]
On September 14, 2023, the SBU claimed that it struck Russian corvette Samum with a Sea Baby USV,[10] with a video later surfacing that shows the ship being towed with a noticeable list.[11]
In October 2023, the Russian patrol ship Pavel Derzhavin was damaged by a Sea Baby attack.[3] [12] Later in December 2023, the reconnaissance and hydrographic ship Vladimir Kozitsky was also struck by a Sea Baby USV.[3] [13]
On 6 May 2024, Russia released footage of a Ka-29 using gunfire on a Sea Baby drone. The drone was armed with a R-73 infrared missile, to defend it from helicopters. One missile appeared to have been fired before it was destroyed by gun fire.[14]