US Reveals New Details Of Their Ukrainian Magura USV
/ 
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 V6 or V7. 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.
The shaped charge warhead
A merchant vessel was used as a static target during the MARSTRIKE-N element of the exercise
The Magura V6 (or V7.2) has been demonstrated at NATO exercises and 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 (also reported as a V7.2) with AA-11 ARCHER missiles at NATO exercise REPMUS 25 in Portugal in September 2025.
In the United States Magura USVs are license bult by Red Cat Holdings. That company however only advertises the ‘Variant 7’ which corresponds to the Magura V7. There are numerous detailed differences between the Variant-7s seen on the Red Cat Holdings website and the Magura seen in the Exercise. So it is possible that the examples seen in the Balikatan 2026 exercise were sourced from a difference company.
‘Variant-7’ USV from Red Cat Holdings in USA
In US service the Maguras are operated by U.S. Army Green Berets assigned to 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne).
Related articles (Full index of popular Covert Shores articles)
Guide to Ukraine’s naval drones (USVs)
Guide to Russia’s naval drones (USVs)
World survey of Underwater Attack Drones (OWA-AUVs)