10 boats in one van: Russia goes DIY with a plywood vessel that can be built in 4 hours and can carry 4 fiber-optic UAVs

Date:
Sat, 19 Sep 2026 00:25:00 +0000

Description:
Russia's new drone-carrying warboat is made of plywood, ships flat-packed,
and assembles in four hours with a screwdriver, letting you pack 10 in a van.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Russia's Scientific and Production Center Ushkuynik says ten disassembled Skorlupa hulls fit in one GAZelle van Each hull can be assembled in an estimated four hours (by Russian estimates) using a cordless screwdriver and can travel up to 200 km while carrying up to 250 kg of payloads The Skorlupa comes with up to four communication modules and can carry up to four fiber-optic drones, allowing
it to serve as both a mothership for attack or recon drones and a one-way attack craft Russia's Scientific and Production Center Ushkuynik has released new details on Skorlupa, a light uncrewed surface vessel whose headline feature isn't speed, stealth, or sensors.

According to www1.ru, company CEO Alexey Chadayev says ten of the boats fit into the cargo bed of a single GAZelle light van when broken down, and that one hull goes together in about four hours with an ordinary screwdriver. The hull is cut from water-repellent plywood, and Chadayev told the Russian government daily Rossiyskaya Gazeta , in an interview published on September
8 (RU) around the International Technological Congress 2026, that the craft can be produced at any furniture factory and costs roughly a fifth of a conventional naval drone. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here: A low-cost alternative in an increasingly asymmetrical war? As the Russia-Ukraine conflict enters its fifth year, both sides have innovated, focusing on drones and autonomous vehicles to save lives, operate remotely, and minimize costs.

The Skorlupa does just that: the developer cites a 200 km range and a 250 kg payload, letting operators use it remotely while cutting costs as Russia and Ukraine struggle to fund their war efforts. You may like Ukraine flags that Russia could have a secret fleet of autonomous military vessels stalking the seas Russia is planning a tethered mother drone carrying up to six wired mini spy UAVs World's largest 3D printing facility builds drone boats using
robotic arms

It can also be used in two ways: as a one-way strike platform, delivering an explosive against a ship's hull; or as a mothership, carrying four
fiber-optic aerial drones housed under a deck skin that folds open on
command.

As the war drags on, it's increasingly becoming one that demands practical
and cost-effective solutions that do not endanger lives, with Ukraine also often pulling off similar approaches, including retrofitting
remote-controlled kits to Humvees and Operation Spiderweb , which ingeniously launched attacks from within Russia's borders on its airfields, dealing
damage that amounted to billions of dollars. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me
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Skorlupa does something similar that makes it immune to jamming: it is controlled by a physical fiber-optic cable that lets it function even in
areas where it would otherwise be cut off from wireless communications. This is also why the KVN has become one of Russia's most-used FPV drones.

A non-emitting boat carrying non-emitting drones is effectively unjammable
and hard to counter, and with millions of Russia's KVN drones already in
play, it would be a well-supplied Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) to build up
a naval and aerial threat in a region where Ukraine regularly takes the initiative on the former.

As Alexey Chadayev pointed out in his interview, "With a Skorlupa like this, you can wreck any seaport without missiles," while noting that it can be made at any furniture factory. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/10-boats-in-one-van-russia-goes-diy-with-a-plywo od-vessel-that-can-be-built-in-4-hours-and-can-carry-4-fiber-optic-uavs


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