Sea Trident Drone: Ukraine Shows Heavy Underwater UAV
Ukraine’s Global Mark has unveiled the Sea Trident underwater drone in Paris, claiming long range, heavy payload and use against strategic targets.
Ukrainian company Global Mark has presented the Sea Trident heavy underwater drone at the international Eurosatory exhibition in Paris. According to the published specifications, the vehicle can carry up to 1,000 kilograms of explosives and is designed for strikes on strategic targets.
Ukraine claims the Sea Trident can travel underwater autonomously for up to 3,200 kilometers. That is roughly the distance from Odessa to the coast of Algeria or Spain.
The drone’s declared operating depth is up to 60 meters, which points primarily to use in coastal waters and on the continental shelf. Its cruising speed is said to reach 6 knots, or about 11 kilometers per hour.
Reports about the new system also say the Sea Trident can carry not only an explosive charge but also various cargo. In other words, it is being presented not only as a strike platform but also as an underwater delivery vehicle. Whether these specifications reflect the drone’s real capabilities remains unknown. The public figures may also be overstated.
Military expert Vladimir Yeranosyan, an associate professor at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, told aif.ru that the Sea Trident should not be regarded as a Ukrainian development. In his assessment, Kiev is trying to present itself as one of the leaders in unmanned technologies, while Ukraine lacks the industrial base, serious scientific groundwork and sufficient number of specialists needed to create such systems.
Yeranosyan believes that military technologies of this level are being supplied to Ukraine by Western allies, whose involvement is not publicly advertised in order to avoid formal responsibility.
Given the claimed explosive payload, the expert said the Sea Trident could be used in attempts to strike major strategic facilities. Among possible targets, he mentioned port and coastal infrastructure, including maritime terminals and sites connected with the loading of oil and gas products.
Yeranosyan also said bridges, dams and possibly hydroelectric power plants could be at risk. He did not rule out attempts to use such a vehicle against large warships or submarines of the Russian fleet.