The United Kingdom is developing Wasp and Snapper maritime drones to support Ukrainian capabilities in the Black Sea.

Naval technology reported on this.

In late January, during a government event, UK Secretary of State for Defence John Healey spoke about the completion of short-term development projects for three unknown weapons projects.

“Enhancing our own capabilities through Stormer and Starstreak…while Gravehawk, Snapper and Wasp have all been developed with breathtaking speed,” John Healey said.

Revealed in a pair of UK parliamentary written responses on 4 February 2025, UK Minister for Defence Procurement, Maria Eagle, made mention of “Wasp” and “Snapper” UMV programmes, which themselves were apparently referenced in an ADS Annual Dinner on 28 January by the UK Secretary of State for Defence, John Healey.

“The system is currently undergoing final testing, and further details will be set out in due course,” Eagle stated.

Development of Ukraine’s unmanned fleet

The maritime unmanned systems projects for Ukraine appear to be a continuation of a larger strategy to build up Ukraine’s unmanned fleet. A month earlier, the United Kingdom announced the development of a universal maritime drone for Ukraine.

The drone must serve as a reusable platform, be resistant to enemy electronic warfare systems, and be able to attack targets even in the event of signal loss. The drone will be equipped with at least two weapons that should hit the target for better effect.

The MOD outlined several critical capabilities for the COOKSON system:

• A top speed exceeding 40 knots, even in Sea State 3 conditions.
• A range of 800 nautical miles fully laden and a minimum endurance of 72 hours.
• Low observability and the ability to operate in GNSS-degraded or denied environments.
• The capability to carry multiple (>2) one-way effectors with a high-explosive warhead and a 30–100 km range.
• Hard-kill air defense capabilities to counter threats such as rotary-wing aircraft and ISR drones.

Additionally, the Ministry of Defense published technical requirements for the munitions, including an 80kg high-explosive (HE) warhead, a range of 80-100 km, and the ability to attack both surface and coastal targets.

Additionally, the integration of machine guns, man-portable air defense systems, and longer-range missiles will be considered. Initially, production of 2-3 vessels per month is expected within six months of the order.

The purchase of new drones is due to begin in the first quarter of 2025, with the simultaneous procurement of hundreds of munitions to be tested in late 2025 and early 2026.