The UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) has announced the launch of the COOKSON project, which involves the creation of an unmanned attack boat for the Ukrainian Navy. The first session of this project is scheduled for January 22, 2025, and NATO member countries, Ukraine, and Five-Eyes countries have been invited to strengthen the naval capabilities of the Ukrainian Defense Forces.
In this case, we are referring to the development of an actual naval missile drone boat. Based on the announced projected characteristics, the open question remains whether Ukraine’s domestically developed Neptune missile will be used for this project.
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As emphasized by the British portal UK Defence Journal, not only have the projected characteristics of the future development been determined, but also the timeline for when the first prototypes are expected to be showcased—by early 2026.
Moreover, this is not just an innovative development but one with the potential for mass production. The project conditions include a requirement that, within six months of serial production, the production rate should reach two to three unmanned attack boats per month.
Additionally, it is expected that the future unmanned missile boat will have a cruising speed of up to 40 knots, a maximum range of up to 800 nautical miles, and a minimum patrol duration of 72 hours. The platform should also carry at least two missiles with a launch range of 30 to 100 kilometers and be capable of operating even under conditions of active enemy electronic warfare (EW).
Furthermore, the future unmanned attack boat under the COOKSON project is expected to be equipped with self-defense systems against enemy aerial threats, such as heavy machine guns, MANPADS, or other means. The platform should also be compact enough for easy transportation directly to Ukrainian territory, and the missiles for this boat must be produced in a minimum quantity of 20 units per month.
What is particularly interesting is that COOKSON is primarily intended for targeting coastal objectives and, secondarily, for targeting surface vessels of the russian federation.
For comparison, it is worth noting that Turkey is already offering the ULAQ unmanned surface vessel project for export. This project is designed for the ÇAKIR cruise missiles from Roketsan, with a launch range of up to 150 kilometers, and includes a "classic" attack boat designed for these cruise missiles.
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