Shoreline vulnerability drives Gulf interest in USV networks
The Magura V5 is a USV developed by SpetsTechnoExport and deployed by the Ukrainian military. (Photo: Defence Intelligence of Ukraine)
Ukraine’s combat-proven Magura uncrewed surface vessel is attracting Gulf state interest as the Iran war exposes gaps in layered maritime air defence, raising questions about whether low-cost attritable systems can gain a foothold in a procurement culture historically drawn to high-end Western platforms.
Ukraine’s combat-proven uncrewed surface vessel (USV) is drawing attention from Gulf states grappling with depleted air defence magazines.
The operational record of Ukraine’s Magura V5 USV in the Black Sea has made for compelling reading. Shephard’s Defence Insight highlights that in February 2025, the USV became the first uncrewed naval system to sink an enemy warship during combat after it targeted the Russian Tarantul-III-class guided-missile corvette Ivanovets and the 4,000t Ropucha-class (Project 775) tank landing ship Tsezar Kunikov. Each vessel is estimated to cost between $250,000 and $300,000.
That cost-exchange ratio, attritable platform against high-value naval
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