Executive Summary:
- Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Iran have all incorporated unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) into their military planning, suggesting that lessons from Ukraine’s Black Sea campaign are beginning to shape naval development in the Caspian littoral.
- The defensive and asymmetric characteristics of USVs align closely with the missions increasingly emphasized by Caspian naval forces, including coastal defense, maritime security, infrastructure protection, and other operations conducted near shore.
- Azerbaijan’s acquisition of USVs and growing regional emphasis on counter-USV training suggest that both offensive and defensive maritime drone capabilities are likely to become more important components of Caspian naval doctrine in the coming years.
On June 12, Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defense released information about successful naval exercises focused on protecting coastal infrastructure and maritime security (Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan, June 12). Among the systems demonstrated at the end of the exercise were unmanned surface vehicles (USVs), a type of naval drone. On September 6, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev inspected SALVO armed unmanned surface vessels (USVs) and KAYRA kamikaze USVs produced at a joint production facility operated by Azerbaijan’s MIRAS Military-Industrial Company and Türkiye’s DEARSAN Shipyard. Aliyev was briefed on the vessels’ purpose and tactical and technical specifications and reviewed progress at the facility, after which vessels produced there underwent practical testing (Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan, September 6). Azerbaijan’s naval modernization efforts often receive less attention than developments in its ground forces or air force, but the appearance of USVs in the country’s arsenal reflects a broader shift in Caspian maritime thinking.
The establishment of a joint USV production facility gives Azerbaijan an important advantage in developing its USV capabilities, as it provides a pathway beyond simply procuring and testing foreign-built systems. The decision to establish local production also suggests that USVs are being considered as a capability with longer-term relevance to Azerbaijan’s maritime forces, potentially facilitating their adaptation and integration into the country’s naval and maritime security activities (Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan, September 6).
Unlike larger surface combatants, unmanned systems can provide a relatively low-cost way to monitor coastal areas, protect offshore infrastructure, and support maritime special forces operations. This is particularly important for Caspian states with modest fleets and limited shipbuilding capabilities. The ability to employ USVs alongside existing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) fleets may further increase their operational value by improving reconnaissance and target acquisition capabilities.
The customizability of unmanned surface platforms also expands their potential utility beyond traditional military missions. Modern USVs can be configured for surveillance, armed patrol, mine laying, and other specialized tasks. Azerbaijan’s continued effort to combat drug smuggling across the Caspian is one example of a non-conventional activity where such systems could support regular coast guard activity (State Border Services of Azerbaijan, March 11, October 4, 2025).
These developments are already influencing maritime planning across the Caspian Sea. In August 2025, Azerbaijan publicly displayed the SALVO unmanned surface vehicle equipped with a remotely operated weapons station (Ordu, August 14, 2025). Azerbaijan also showcased the KAYRA kamikaze USV in November 2025 (Report.az, November 8, 2025). The appearance of both armed and strike-oriented systems suggests that Azerbaijan intends to employ USVs across a wide range of military and maritime security functions.
Interest in USVs is not limited to Azerbaijan. Recent exercises suggest that regional navies are increasingly paying attention to USVs’ use in Russia’s war against Ukraine. These platforms are becoming an important component of how Caspian navies conduct coastal defense, protect energy infrastructure, and maintain maritime security.
Ukraine demonstrated the effectiveness of inexpensive unmanned surface platforms at scale in its campaign against the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Beginning in 2022, Ukrainian forces employed early USV models and gradually refined both the platforms and the tactics used in their deployment (RBC-Ukraine, March 7, 2024; Carnegie Mellon Policy & Law Review, February 5). Over time, these systems contributed to a series of successful attacks against Russian naval assets and reduced Russia’s ability to operate in waters near Ukraine’s shores. These tactics showed how a country with a constrained conventional naval force could impose considerable costs on a larger maritime power using expendable, mass-produced platforms.
Ukraine’s experience was not without its challenges. USV effectiveness still depends on sustained communications, water conditions, and the simultaneous deployment of multiple platforms (Ukrainska Pravda, December 15, 2025). Ukrainian forces experienced many failed attacks before achieving notable successes, suggesting that military adaptation is an iterative process. Most vessels targeted by Ukrainian USVs were Soviet-era designs with a crew that was, in most cases, unprepared for dealing with USV attacks (Rabdan Defense & Security Institute, October 15, 2025). Their performance against naval forces equipped and trained specifically to counter such systems remains to be seen.
The lessons from Black Sea USV use are relevant to most Caspian Sea states. Naval exercises over the past few years highlight how regional navies are focusing on coastal defense, maritime security, and protecting economic infrastructure rather than conventional naval warfare. In 2025, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan conducted “Caspian Breeze 2025” joint naval exercises focused on protecting maritime economic facilities and critical infrastructure (see EDM, April 24, July 3; Report.az, June 17, 2025). Naval exercises conducted as part of Turkmenistan’s joint military exercise in the Balkan region in April 2024 primarily focused on the defense of the country’s coastal waters and made use of modern unmanned systems (TurkmenPortal, April 30, 2024).
Kazakhstan has not publicly unveiled comparable USV systems. Recent exercises, however, prove growing awareness of the threat posed by unmanned naval platforms. During drills Kazakhstan’s navy conducted in March 2025, focused on protecting economic and strategic facilities, Kazakh naval forces trained explicitly against kamikaze USV attacks (Ministry of Defense of Kazakhstan, March 18, 2025).
Russia’s Caspian Flotilla has demonstrated similar concerns. Russia’s naval exercises in the Caspian Sea in April were heavily focused on handling UAV and USV threats in the context of military and economic infrastructure defense. During these exercises, ships of the Russian Caspian Flotilla practiced firing on targets imitating enemy unmanned naval platforms (TASS, April 29). Preparation for UAV attacks reflects that the Russian Caspian Flotilla has been attacked by Ukrainian strike drones (Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, June 4). Training against naval drones, however, suggests that Russian planners are also taking seriously the threat posed by USVs, even in the Caspian Sea.
Some Russian defense companies have established domestic USV production programs, creating opportunities for Russia to integrate them into the Caspian Flotilla in the future (Zala Aero, June 11). These include the KAMA USV, which Russia unveiled in June, as well as the “Skorlupa” multi-purpose naval drone that has reportedly already been delivered to the battlefield in Ukraine (TASS, March 31; Zala Aero, June 11). The Russian “Kolskaya Verf” company unveiled its project for a transport USV that can be used for both civilian and military logistics purposes in July (Izvestiya, July 16).
Iran provides another, albeit slightly different, piece of evidence of the spread of USVs among Caspian littoral states. Although Iranian USV activity has been observed in the Gulf of Oman rather than the Caspian, this activity demonstrates both interest in and operational experience with the technology (UKMTO, June 14). Iran continues to expand its indigenous USV capabilities, including platforms such as the Ya Mahdi (DefaPress, December 15, 2025). The combination of operational experience and domestic production suggests that Tehran possesses the industrial and logistical capacity to introduce similar systems to its Caspian maritime forces should it decide to do so.
Iran, like the other Caspian Sea states, also conducts regular naval exercises, although they differ in nature from those of many of its neighbors. Iran appears to place greater emphasis on military cooperation with Russia in the Caspian region and on the security of the entire sea, rather than focusing primarily on the protection of its own coastal waters. This can be seen in the CASAREX-2025 joint search and rescue exercise conducted by Iran and Russia in 2025. The exercise aimed to enhance security in the Caspian Sea while further strengthening bilateral military cooperation between the two countries (Kaspiyskiy Vestnik, July 28, 2025). Similar joint military exercises with Russia aimed at improving preparedness for maritime incidents were also conducted in Iran’s coastal waters in July 2024 (Interfax, July 22, 2024).
The success of Ukraine’s USV campaign in the Black Sea showed that USVs can provide smaller Caspian naval forces with affordable capabilities in their specialization areas. Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Iran have all displayed awareness of the technology and adaptation to its emergence. Proliferation of these systems is likely to reinforce the already established trend toward defensive and asymmetric maritime operations in the Caspian. Current trends suggest that both USV and anti-USV capabilities will continue to expand in the coming years as Caspian states incorporate lessons from the Black Sea into their own maritime planning.
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