The military blogger behind the channel Fighterbomber compared Russia’s current fight against Ukrainian naval drones (BECs) to the era of World War I, when pilots of military aircraft located their targets solely by visual observation.

He said that Russia’s naval aviation is destroying BECs in a way reminiscent of that period, noting that these drones are detected visually. He emphasized the small size of the unmanned boat, which can only be seen on the water’s surface through binoculars.

According to him, Russian aircraft such as the Su-30 have no dedicated targeting systems for BECs — no equipment capable of locking onto or automatically tracking such surface targets. The expert noted that a Russian naval aviation pilot must first spot a BEC with the naked eye and then visually attempt to destroy it using whatever weapons the aircraft carries.

He explained that the pilot may strike the drone with cluster bombs, rockets, ordinary bombs, and, of course, cannon fire.

BECs (unmanned boats) are remotely operated maritime strike drones controlled via satellite internet. They can travel at high speed while partially submerged, which, combined with their small size, makes them low-visibility targets that are very difficult to intercept. Their combat use is straightforward: the drone operator must direct the vessel into its target. The powerful explosive charge on board allows such drones to cause severe damage or even sink almost any ship.