Ukraines Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR) released new video and details about the Magura-7 uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) the spy agency claims it used to down two Russian Su-30 Flanker multirole fighters.
The revelations came during a ceremony to introduce a new stamp honouring Ukraines USV campaign that offered our best view yet of the Magura-7 in various configurations.GUR commander Lt.
Gen.
Kyrylo Budanov, and a team of special service specialists publicly presented the Magura series of naval strike drones for the first time, GUR stated on Telegram Thursday.The video shows a Magura-7 armed with two live AIM-9M Sidewinder infrared-guided air-to-air missiles for use as surface-to-air interceptors.
TWZ was the first to report on the claimed use of AIM-9-toting Magura-7s to shoot down a pair of Flankers flying over the Black Sea, in an exclusive interview with Budanov, which you can read here.
That engagement marked the first time a drone boat destroyed a combat jet.The boat displayed by GUR at the ceremony also features the missiles loaded on aircraft-style launch rails that would be elevated at an upward angle before launch, but they do not appear to provide any lateral traverse.
This is significant since, as TWZ has pointed out previously, the M variant of the Sidewinder lacks the high-off-boresight (HOBS) capabilities of the infrared-guided R-73 (AA-11 Archer) short-range air-to-air missile.
In December, GUR claimed it downed a Russian Mi-8 Hip helicopter fired from a Magura V5 USV operated by GURs Group 13 unit.In addition to displaying the Magura-7s, the GUR video also offered new details about these drone boats, answering questions we previously raised.As we recently surmised, it is roughly 23.5 feet long.
In addition, it has a range of up to 540 nautical miles and can operate autonomously for at least 48 hours and up to seven days with a generator.
Weighing more than 2,800 pounds unloaded and nearly 7,500 pounds loaded, it can carry a 1,433-pound payload.Live AIM-9 missiles mounted on aircraft-style launch rails (GUR)The 270 hp diesel engine can generate a top speed of 39 knots and a cruising speed of 23 knots, which it can do up toSea State 3.Under the Beaufort Scale, that means a gentle breeze of up to 10 knots and maximum wave heights of three feet.It has multiple video feeds for operators to exploit, with day/night gyro-stabilized turret likely for general surveillance and target acquisition cueing and two staring video systems.
Its product card also listed acoustic environment monitoring systems.
It is controlled remotely with an encrypted satellite link, according to the card.
We spotted no less than three planar satellite antennas atop the boats hull in previous imagery.The newly revealed specifications confirm our previous observation that the Magura-7 is larger than the Magura-5 with a greater range.
The Magura-5has a reported lengthof 18 feet andhasa top speed of 42 knots, a cruising speed of 22 knots, and a range of 450 nautical miles.Source: The War Zone;