Russia Develops Plot-40 Floating Platform to Counter Drones

Russia has developed the experimental Plot-40 floating fire support platform to protect naval bases and ports from uncrewed surface vessels (USVs).

Alexander Drozdenko, the governor of Russia’s Leningrad region, published photos and videos of the platform.

The project was developed following an analysis of recent attacks on naval infrastructure, which highlighted the vulnerability of traditional defense systems to new types of weapons.

The Plot-40 is armed with a remotely operated machine-gun module.

However, it remains unclear whether the platform will require a crew on board to operate the weapon or whether it will feature advanced artificial intelligence capabilities for automatic target classification.

Production will be fully localized in Russia’s Leningrad region, and officials claim there is no equivalent platform currently in service in the country.

The platform’s main advantage is its ability to remain at sea for extended periods while serving as a surveillance post. Its displacement has not yet been disclosed.

According to the governor, the showcased platform is a prototype, and the Russian Navy’s specialized research institute has already given the project preliminary approval.

The presentation also featured prototype uncrewed surface vessels (USVs), which are currently undergoing trials.

Militarnyi previously reported that Russia had unveiled the Briz uncrewed surface logistics drone, described as being intended for “civilian use” and featuring an internal cargo compartment.

The drone was developed jointly by the companies Sea Project and Bezekipazhnaya Logistika.

Visually, the Briz resembles a rigid-hulled inflatable boat with dedicated cargo and equipment superstructures.