14/07/2026 13:27 - Internacionales
Modern warfare is reaching a turning point thanks to artificial intelligence and robotics. In just 72 hours, three historic events were recorded, demonstrating how autonomous vehicles are beginning to replace humans in reconnaissance, rescue, patrol, and combat missions at sea.
International analyst Andrei Serbin Pont, during the program Infobae al Regreso, reviewed three unprecedented episodes: the first US attack with a naval drone, the first completely robotic amphibious landing by Ukraine, and the presentation of a new generation of hybrid aircraft by an American company. These events reflect the same trend: the increasing incorporation of technology to protect human lives in conflict scenarios.
The Task Force 59 (the US Navy unit specialized in unmanned systems operating mainly in the Middle East), executed an attack using an autonomous vessel for the first time. Serbin Pont explained that it was not a conventional suicide drone, but a multipurpose maritime drone specifically configured to destroy installations in a single-use mission, similar to a 'kamikaze' system.
Weeks earlier, this same autonomous vessel had achieved another milestone by rescuing the crew of a downed Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz (a vital maritime choke point between Iran and Oman), without exposing other military personnel to danger. The versatility of these platforms allows for rescue, patrol, or attack missions, demonstrating a significant technological leap that prioritizes personnel safety.
In the context of the ongoing conflict with Russia, Ukraine's 123rd Territorial Defense Brigade carried out an operation that the specialist defined as the first fully robotic amphibious landing on record. The maneuver consisted of using a maritime drone to transport an armed land vehicle equipped with a machine gun to the coast.
Once on land, the robot operated in an area controlled by Russian forces, carrying out harassment and reconnaissance tasks, without any Ukrainian soldier participating directly in the landing. The novelty is not the combat itself, but the ability of one robot to land another robot to start an operation. This shows that complex maneuvers can be executed with unmanned systems, drastically reducing casualties.
The American company Squire presented hybrid vehicles that combine boat and aircraft characteristics. These aircraft move at very low altitude over water taking advantage of the 'ground effect', an aerodynamic principle known since the Cold War (often associated with Soviet 'ekranoplans' or wing-in-ground-effect vehicles) that is now gaining prominence thanks to automation.
These platforms can fulfill maritime surveillance, search, rescue, or light transport missions at significantly lower costs than a conventional helicopter or airplane. Serbin Pont estimated that the cost of these platforms would be around one million dollars (USD), a very competitive figure by military budget standards.
For the analyst, these three episodes are not isolated facts, but manifestations of a profound transformation. In democracies, where 'lives are more expensive', investing in technologies that reduce one's own casualties is a priority. Automation no longer just assists the armed forces; it is beginning to take the place of soldiers in the most dangerous missions, promising to redefine the wars of the coming decades with a focus on preserving human life.
Source: Infobae
Alfredo S. Quiroga
