Ukraine unveils Magura MV11 — the world’s first unmanned drone carrier

Ukraine has publicly unveiled the Magura MV11 — a vessel described as the world’s first purpose-built unmanned aircraft carrier for launching drones at sea.

The presentation took place on August 24 during Independence Day celebrations.

The seven-meter vessel sailed in a ceremonial naval review along the Dnipro River as part of a military parade in Kyiv composed entirely of unmanned systems — itself a first in military history.

The MV11 was developed from scratch by Ukrainian manufacturer UFORCE to carry and launch other unmanned systems. Its developers describe it as a “mobile naval base.” The vessel can carry a payload of up to 2,200 kilograms, operate autonomously for up to seven days, and is designed for open-ocean operations. According to The War Zone, the vessel carried 18 small vertically launched Sting interceptors during the demonstration, turning it into a “small floating anti-drone defense battery.”

A new chapter in the history of Ukrainian naval drones

The MV11 builds on the Magura series, which has become one of Ukraine’s most effective weapons against Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. Since their public debut in July 2023, Magura drones operating in kamikaze mode have struck several Russian military vessels, including the corvette Ivanovets in February 2024 and the 4,000-ton landing ship Caesar Kunikov just days later.

In early August 2026, FPV drones launched from Magura boats near Crimea struck a pair of Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile launchers and a radar. Ukrainian military intelligence estimated Russian equipment losses at over approximately €42.8 million. In July 2026, UFORCE and American company RECONCRAFT signed a memorandum of understanding on licensed production of Magura boats in the states of Oregon and South Carolina.

The drone parade

The MV11 presentation took place as part of an unprecedented unmanned military parade marking the 35th anniversary of Ukrainian independence. It featured nearly 100 units of domestically produced autonomous weaponry, including 30 ground robots, nine unmanned naval vessels, and dozens of aerial drones. There were no soldiers, tanks, or armored vehicles in the column — only machines.

Euronews described the event as “a military demonstration unlike any Ukraine has ever staged,” noting that it showed “how radically the Russian invasion has transformed the Ukrainian army.” Volodymyr Zelensky addressed Russia directly:

“Your attempt to seize Ukraine has cost Russia oil refineries, fleets, economic gains, and future generations thrown into the slaughterhouse,” Zelensky said.

The United States, the United Kingdom, Turkey, and China have experimented with launching drones from conventional aircraft carriers, but none of these countries has put such a system into combat use. The MV11 represents a fundamentally different approach — an unmanned vessel built specifically for the role of carrying other drones.