Magura V6 surface drone - USV

Flag Ukraine / Flag USA The U.S. Department of Defence (DoD) has released photos on the official media site DVIDS showing a Ukrainian Magura USV (uncrewed surface vessel) at the Balikatan 2026 exercise in the Philippines in April. The exact model may be the Magura V7.1 or V7.2. The photos include the loading of a novel shaped charge warhead which was used in the MARSTRIKE-N live firing component of the exercise.

The warhead has a single large forward-facing explosively-formed-penetrator (EFP) and 7 smaller EFPs angled slightly outward around it. This likely greatly increases the warhead’s effectiveness, especially when the USV strikes its target from an angle. The USV has three impact fuses arranged on the forward hull exactly like Ukrainian examples.

Magura V6 surface drone - USV

The shaped charge warhead

Magura V6 / V7 surface drone - USV

A merchant vessel was used as a static target during the MARSTRIKE-N element of the exercise

The Magura V7.2 is built in Portugal and has been demonstrated at NATO exercises. It broadly represents the third generation of Ukrainian surface drones. As its designation implies it is slightly larger than the ubiquitous Magura V5, which has been used so effectively against the Russian Navy. It can also carry the Sea Dragon ‘FrankenSAM’ air-defence system with two rails for either AIM-9M Sidewinder or Soviet type AA-11 ARCHER missiles.

Magura V6 surface drone - USV
Magura V7.2 with AA-11 ARCHER missiles at NATO exercise REPMUS 25 in Portugal in September 2025.

In American service the Maguras are operated by U.S. Army Green Berets assigned to 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne).

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