Q&A ยท 54:18-54:48

Ukraine's Ada corvettes and lessons from uncrewed operations

Crewed corvettes are considered useful, and Black Sea uncrewed operations are treated cautiously as a guide to North Atlantic requirements.

Question

Are Ada-class corvettes useful for Ukraine, or should it sell them for now?

Short answer

Crewed corvettes are considered useful, and Black Sea uncrewed operations are treated cautiously as a guide to North Atlantic requirements.

Notes

Ada-class corvettes are considered probably useful for Ukraine. Retaining crewed ships also matters to the interpretation of the war at sea. Uncrewed craft succeeding in the Black Sea could encourage claims that fleets elsewhere can dispense with crews. The Black Sea and North Atlantic impose different operating conditions, limiting automatic transfer of that lesson.