MOSCOW, February 5. /TASS/. The first test flights of the Knyaz Vandal of Novgorod (KVN) fiber-optic drone were carried out from the Skorlupa (Shell) autonomous boat over the Black Sea, the Ushkuynik Research and Production Center (Veliky Novgorod) reported on Telegram.
"The first launch tests of the Knyaz Vandal of Novgorod fiber-optic drone from the unmanned boat Skorlupa were successfully completed in the Black Sea. The Skorlupa is Russia’s first mass-produced unmanned boat with a fiber-optic control channel. This unmanned boat is a versatile, dual-purpose platform. It can be used as a standalone unit for reconnaissance, patrol, or other offshore operations. It also serves as a mobile base for launching and controlling other devices, such as fiber-optic drones, extending their range in the water," the statement reads.
Ushkuynik noted that the platform is capable of performing multiple tasks simultaneously, offering new tactical options for operations in coastal zones, rivers, and offshore waters. "From the very beginning, we designed not just a ‘drone on a string,’ but a fiber-optic control system technology that can be adapted to any environment. As with Knyaz Vandal, the goal in developing the uncrewed boat was to create a full-lifecycle product: with its own operator training system, technical support, and established feedback," Ushkuynik Center CEO Alexey Chadayev said.
According to him, people are being trained on how to use the new tech, and a training program is being developed for tactical scenarios common in the special military operation zone in Ukraine. "Furthermore, production of the Skorlupa itself has already been established, and hundreds of the boats are being produced per month," Chadayev emphasized.