Let's not embarrass ourselves by being so obviously smitten by the new hot unmanned surface vessel (USV) weapon on the block.
Russia conducted a fleet exercise that included USVs, in reaction to Ukraine's use of USVs to stop Russia from using the western Black Sea. Does that Russian exercise mean Russia will dominate the Baltic Sea? [LINK FIXED]
This wouldn't be the first time that naval lessons were hastily--and wrongly--learned, as the Austrian victory in the 1866 Battle of Lissa was seized upon when the Austro-Hungarian fleet defeated the armored Italian fleet that carried far more cannons than the Austrians who relied on ramming:
The CSS Albemarle sank union warships through ramming. Combined with Lissa’s inverse number of casualties to the number of guns many leaders believed the ram trumped the gun in the ironcladed future. Leaders drew the wrong lesson from the fight and generations of new ship construction included rams.
Obviously, guns with well-trained and led crews were the way to go notwithstanding the ram panty flinging. And the author moves on to the evolution to spar torpedo- and torpedo-boats.
[Ahem] I think we need to get a grip about what Ukraine's use of USVs can teach us about naval warfare.
Still, the author of the initial article reels it back in at the end:
While a window of opportunity exists in theory, any advantage Russia might have by using USVs offensively will be temporarily.
Indeed. Big if true. In theory. But don't be hasty, eh? Fully appreciate the context of USV success.
NOTE: TDR Winter War of 2022 coverage continues here.
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NOTE: I made the image with Bing.
