BRP Sea-Doo engines reportedly power naval drones used by the Ukrainians against the Russian Navy in the Black Sea.
• Also read: A BRP ROTAX engine on a Russian drone in Ukraine?
According to a British naval defense specialist, the naval drones recently deployed in Crimea are equipped with the same turbine-powered hydrojets as the Quebec-made personal watercraft.
HISutton, the manager of the Covert Shores website, analyzed photos posted on Russian social networks of a naval drone stranded in Crimea in September and wanted to find out the origin of its engine.
He compared it to commercial waterjets from various manufacturers and found that it matched a late-model Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP) Rotax, a GTX or a Fish Pro. Sutton published his findings on the United States Naval Institute website.
The Russians blame the Ukrainians
Last Saturday, the Russian Defense Ministry said seven naval drones and nine aerial drones had attacked its ships in the port of Sevastopol in Crimea. Russia claims all drones were destroyed. These “unmanned sea craft” would have been powered by water jet turbines of the kind found on Crimea’s beaches.
Moscow accuses Kyiv of having planned the attack with the help of British military “specialists”. Which London denies.
BRP engines at sea and in the air
This would be the second use of BRP engines in military drones by belligerents in the Ukraine War. We announced on October 19th that Russian drones made in Iran will also be powered by BRP Rotax iS912 engines.
A Ukrainian journalist, Andriy Tsaplienko, has shared dramatic footage with The Guardian showing what could be a naval drone approaching at high speed in a hail of projectiles on the frigate Admiral Makarov, the new flagship of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.
Tsaplienko claims the frigate, like at least two other Russian ships armed with Kalibr cruise missiles, was damaged, adding: “There is a good chance that several ships were not only damaged but sunk.”
A revolution in naval warfare
Military analysts have observed that after the discovery of the first naval drone in September, the Russian Navy took a number of measures to strengthen the protection of its ships against possible surface drone attacks.
The use of inexpensive maritime drones that do not endanger the lives of their operators heralds a new type of naval warfare, just as flying drones are transforming air warfare.
The water jet turbine
Photo from Russian social media via Naval News
The water jet turbine powers the drone’s aluminum hull, which features near its tail a flat, square object that appears to be a SpaceX Starlink satellite dish. It would be connected to a communications/data exchange system with onboard sensors and cameras. On its bow, two white protrusions would be two firing pins / detonators of the explosives arranged in the front part of the drone.
BRP responds
When asked to comment on the information, BRP told us that the company was aware that a naval drone was likely using commercial parts from their watercraft, adding: “Without getting more details or a series, we can’t be sure of the provenance.” of the parts speculate.” .
The company notes that since engines for Sea-Doo watercraft are not sold separately, “manufacturing this type of drone would necessarily involve the purchase and disassembly of a watercraft intended for the recreational market. Our products are not designed for military use.”
