Overview on Sea Drones Evolution and their Use in Modern Warfare

The unjustified invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation created the necessary conditions for the development and testing of technologies in the operational space of the traditional war theater. Considering that Ukraine has lost a large part of its naval forces in the first days of the conflict, there was an essential need to develop new technologies that would allow this state to defend itself. Moreover, given the innovative character of the surface and underwater technologies developed by the Ukrainians, they were able to be used for offensive actions, which surprised the naval forces of the Russian Federation repeatedly. Access to operational vehicles was made easier and more accessible with the introduction of smaller, lighter and less expensive equipment. The article proposes an analysis of the evolution of naval drones and how they were used in the most recent conflict in the Black Sea area. The main objective of the study is to identify and present the main types of underwater technologies that have enabled the development of naval drones, the analysis of how they have been used in a contemporary conflict and the recent evolution of their actions. The conclusions of the study are focused on the potential use of these technologies and how they can be used in combination with other combat technologies in armed conflicts of various types.