US uses Ukrainian Magura V5 naval drones for first time during exercises in Philippines – Bloomberg
Drone Industry
The United States military used Ukrainian Magura V5 naval drones for the first time during exercises in the Indo-Pacific region. During manoeuvres in the Philippines, the drones sank a decommissioned target ship.
This was reported by Bloomberg, whose journalists obtained video confirmation of the exercises, Censor.NET reports.
More about the tests
The video shows a Magura uncrewed surface vessel crashing into the target ship, which sank within seconds. This was the first use of drones of this class outside Russia’s war against Ukraine.
The Magura V5 drones were developed by the Ukrainian company Uforce. Ukrainian forces have repeatedly used these naval drones to successfully attack ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.
According to the company’s CEO, Oleh Rohynskyi, Magura drones have been used to sink about 10 Russian warships.
Rohynskyi added that the company is holding talks with countries in the Indo-Pacific region and is considering building at least two production facilities in Asia.
Experts believe that naval drones may play an increasingly important role in potential conflicts in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly around Taiwan. Their advantage lies in their relatively low cost and ability to operate in high-risk areas without endangering crews.
According to Bloomberg, the United States, China, Japan, and other countries are actively developing and testing surface and underwater uncrewed systems. By 2030, thousands of small naval drones could be deployed in the Indo-Pacific region.
What is known about the Magura V5 drone
- The Magura V5 is a multipurpose naval drone. It is capable of conducting reconnaissance, patrols, search and rescue operations, mine countermeasures, naval fleet protection, and combat missions.
- Ukraine first presented the naval drone at a defence exhibition in Türkiye in July 2023.
- It is 5.5 metres long and 1.5 metres wide. Its maximum speed exceeds 77 km/h. The system can carry a payload of up to 320 kg and operate within a range of 830 km.
- On 3 May 2025, Ukrainian forces for the first time in the world destroyed a Russian Su-30 combat aircraft with a strike from a Magura naval drone.
