The Middle East’s three premier drone powers — Iran, Israel, and Turkey — have developed a variety of naval and ship-launched drones in recent years that are worth evaluating, Forbes writes.
Iran
Unlike their Israeli and Turkish counterparts, the drones Iran has launched from ships do not appear to have been substantially modified for maritime operations. Nevertheless, they are potentially capable of wreaking havoc on the high seas.
In July, Iran showcased its ability to launch drones from landing and support ships as well as its Russian-built Kilo-class submarines. On that occasion, Iranian Ababil-2 and Arash drones were launched from rails mounted on the vessels using rocket boosters. Both models are loitering munitions (colloquially referred to as kamikaze or suicide drones) that destroy their target by crashing into it and detonating their explosive warhead.
Janes noted that another drone resembling the newer Ababil-3 was also used during that demonstration and speculated that it “may have been fitted with a parachute and a flotation device so it can be recovered from the sea, although this was not shown.”
“The first drone-carrier division of the Iranian navy consisting of ships and submarine units carrying all types of drones for combat, detection and destruction has been unveiled,” Iran state television boasted at the time. “All types of the latest advanced drones produced by the military and the defense ministry have flown over the Indian Ocean’s waters to demonstrate their capabilities.”
In a similar development in November 2020, Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) paramilitary unveiled the Shahid Roudaki, which state television described at the time as a “heavy, multi-purpose, and long-range warship capable of carrying all types of aircrafts, drones, missiles and radar systems.” “Iran’s Shahid Rudaki warship is a mobile naval city capable of carrying ocean missions,” it claimed. In reality, the Shahid Rudaki is a civilian roll-on/roll-off cargo vessel repurposed for use by the IRGC. It is more similar to the SS Atlantic Conveyer container ship that the UK requisitioned for service in the 1982 Falklands War to transport helicopters and Harrier jump jets than a purpose-built aircraft carrier or landing helicopter dock.
Nevertheless, Iran’s demonstrated capability to launch drones off such ships is not insignificant. After all, it enables Tehran to hit targets on land or at sea hundreds if not thousands of miles from its own shores.
In July 2021, Israeli officials claimed that multiple Iranian-built drones were used in an attack on an oil tanker owned by an Israeli-owned company that killed two crew members while the ship was in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Oman. Using repurposed vessels, including innocuous-looking container ships, Iran could conceivably threaten such tankers and other vessels belonging to adversary states while they are far out to sea and more vulnerable.
Israel
In February 2021, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) revealed it was supplying the naval version of its well-known Harop loitering munition to an undisclosed navy in Asia. Unveiled in 2017, the naval Harop, like the original ground-launched version, is launched from a canister and searches for a target. It can autonomously seek out the emissions of enemy radars and attack them or can be manually operated and guided toward other targets on the battlefield. Since the Harop is both a surveillance and attack drone, it can instantaneously attack an enemy target the moment it locates it. That is much more convenient than locating a target and then launching a missile or scrambling a fighter jet from afar. It is also handy for swiftly striking targets of opportunity. Once the Harop locates its target, it locks onto it, goes into an accelerated dive, and strikes, detonating its inbuilt explosive warhead on impact.
IAI has stated that the naval Harop “is an operational alternative and complementary element to using sea-sea missiles, with a wide range of uses and with optimal cost-efficiency”. It has also touted the naval Harop’s “ability to search, find and attack with maximum precision both static and moving targets, on land or at sea and at a long-range”. Having this capability at sea, in particular, could be invaluable for defending against fast attack crafts, small explosive-laden “suicide” boats with explosives and other such asymmetrical threats used by the likes of the IRGC and the Houthis in Yemen.
At sea, a swarm of these loitering munitions could potentially do a lot of damage to enemy vessels, blinding their radars and weakening them to the point they are exposed to further attacks. As with the original version, the naval Harop can also be used for attacking targets on land. For a navy, this capability could be useful for targeting land-based anti-ship and air defense systems in particular.
Turkey
After its Bayraktar TB2 drone proved its worth in several conflicts in recent years, Baykar Defense is now developing the TB3. The TB3 looks almost identical to its TB2 predecessor, with the conspicuous exception of its foldable wings. It will also feature Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flight ability.
The TB3 is being developed for Turkey’s upcoming flagship, an amphibious warship christened the TCG Anadolu (L-400), as well as export. Baykar has already suggested they would also be “a great fit” for Japan’s Izumo-class warships. Thanks to the TB3s folding wings, the Anadolu could carry 30-50 of them.
With six hardpoints, each of these TB3s can carry and fire the various munitions the TB2 can. They can threaten enemy ships far from Turkey’s shores or support land operations in distant countries.
The simple fact that it is designed to take off and land on such a short runway makes the TB3 much more easily retrievable and, therefore, more reusable for various missions than any of the drones mentioned above. After all, having a drone land on a ship deck is a whole lot easier than having to scoop one out of the sea.
The export potential of the TB3 could also be significant since it is the first naval drone of its kind designed for repeated use rather than oneway so-called suicide attacks. At the same time, it’s inexpensive enough for its operator to affordably sustain high rates of attrition like the TB2.
As more countries seek armed drones for their navies, the TB3 could become a popular choice thanks to these unique capabilities.
