A drone that flies, dives to 40 meters, resurfaces next to the target, and attacks in swarms transforms Belgium into a pioneer of a hybrid weapon that crosses sky and ocean undetected.

Written by Valdemar Medeiros

Published on 18/04/2026 at 16:37

Seja o primeiro a reagir!

Drone that flies and dives up to 40 meters emerges as a new naval hybrid weapon and could change maritime and coastal warfare strategies.

In September 2025, during the Naval Innovation Days (NID) 2025, Naval Group presented the Cormorant, a multi-domain drone developed by Naval Group Belgium in partnership with the Belgian Navy to operate both in the air and underwater. In official material published on September 16, 2025, the company reported that the system can dive up to 40 meters deep, be launched from the surface drone Seaquest S, and resurface to continue the mission, combining capabilities that are traditionally separated between aerial and underwater platforms into a single platform.

The official presentation describes the Cormorant as a platform aimed at surveillance, reconnaissance, and integration of sensors and effectors in complex environments. In another text published by Naval Group on June 24, 2025, the company stated that the project was launched in mid-2022, developed with the Free University of Brussels, and was already ready for industrialization and commercialization after two years of development, indicating that the proposal had advanced beyond the experimental prototype phase.

How the drone that alternates between flight and diving works

The operation of the Cormorant relies on a hybrid architecture that combines elements of aerial drones with technologies typical of unmanned underwater vehicles. Unlike conventional drones, which operate exclusively in the air, this system was designed to withstand underwater pressure, resist water ingress, and maintain structural stability during the transition between the two environments.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

Swarming capability expands strategic potential

One of the most relevant elements of the system is the possibility of group operation, known as swarm. This concept has already been explored in aerial drones, but its application in a system that also operates underwater significantly increases the level of complexity and strategic potential.

The ability to launch multiple units that can fly, dive, and coordinate actions in different environments creates a new type of threat that is difficult to detect and intercept.

While one drone can act as a sensor, another can play an offensive or distraction role. This distributed behavior increases mission efficiency and reduces the vulnerability of the system as a whole.

Unmanned platform eliminates human risks in critical missions

Another central aspect of the project is that it is a completely unmanned system. This means that the drone can be employed in high-risk environments without direct exposure of human operators.

This type of feature is especially relevant in scenarios such as:

Monitored coastal areas
Regions with the presence of naval mines
Operations near sensitive structures

By eliminating the need for a crew, the system allows for an expanded operational range and reduced operational risks. Additionally, the absence of pilots or onboard operators enables longer and more flexible missions.

Operational invisibility emerges from the combination of air and sea

One of the greatest strategic advantages of the Cormorant lies in its ability to operate in two distinct environments, making it harder to detect.

Conventional radars are designed to identify aerial targets, while sonar systems detect submerged objects. A system that alternates between these two mediums creates an additional challenge for any defense system.

By diving, the drone can disappear from radars and approach the target silently, returning to the surface only when necessary.

This feature enhances infiltration potential and makes the system especially relevant in coastal warfare scenarios and naval operations.

Development indicates a new phase of hybrid warfare

The emergence of systems like the Cormorant is directly linked to a larger trend within the defense industry: the search for hybrid platforms capable of operating across multiple domains.

Traditionally, armed forces operate by separating their means into clear categories:

Air
Naval
Land
Submarine

However, emerging technologies are beginning to break these boundaries. The Cormorant represents exactly this transition, by combining capabilities that would previously require multiple different equipment into a single platform. This technological convergence has the potential to reduce operational costs and increase mission efficiency.

Applications go beyond direct combat

Although the main appeal lies in military use, the very concept of the system allows for broader applications. Among the potential uses are:

Maritime monitoring
Inspection of underwater infrastructure
Search and rescue missions
Environmental data collection

This versatility reinforces the innovative nature of the project, which can be adapted for different operational contexts.

System is still in development and validation phase

Despite the impact of the presentation, it is important to highlight that the Cormorant is still in the development and validation phase. The Naval Group presented the system as a platform ready for industrialization, but there is no public confirmation of large-scale use or definitive operational deployment at this time.

Drone that flies, dives to 40 meters, resurfaces next to the target, and attacks in swarms transforms Belgium into a pioneer of a hybrid weapon that crosses sky and ocean undetected — Seaquest S in the water

This means that, although the technology already exists and has been demonstrated, its full adoption will depend on additional testing, integration with military systems, and validation in real-world scenarios. This stage is common in high-complexity defense projects.

Belgium enters the race for military technologies that seem science fiction

The launch of the Cormorant positions Belgium within a select group of countries that are investing in technologies capable of redefining how military operations are conducted. Instead of focusing solely on increasing firepower, the trend is shifting to:

Invisibility
Mobility between environments
Automation
Distributed intelligence

This type of approach indicates a profound shift in the logic of modern warfare, where the ability to adapt and operate in multiple domains may be more decisive than isolated brute force.

0 Comentários

Mais recente

Mais antigos Mais votado

Feedbacks

Visualizar todos comentários

A drone that flies, dives to 40 meters, resurfaces next to the target, and attacks in swarms transforms Belgium into a pioneer of a hybrid weapon that crosses sky and ocean undetected.

Drone that flies and dives up to 40 meters emerges as a new naval hybrid weapon and could change maritime and coastal warfare strategies.

How the drone that alternates between flight and diving works

Swarming capability expands strategic potential

Unmanned platform eliminates human risks in critical missions

Operational invisibility emerges from the combination of air and sea

Development indicates a new phase of hybrid warfare

Applications go beyond direct combat

System is still in development and validation phase

Belgium enters the race for military technologies that seem science fiction

The oldest tree in the world, alive since before the birth of Jesus Christ, is cut down in a scientific study and the case changes environmental preservation rules.

Seen from space, an image taken by an astronaut shows an unlikely oasis in the Saudi Arabian desert, protected by a terrain that slows the advance of sand, surrounded by green circles, remnants of an extinct lake and nearly 10,000 years of preserved history.

While in Brazil a 10-story building takes 2 years to complete, in China a company stacks pre-fabricated modules and raises the entire building in just 28 hours and 45 minutes.

An entire island in the Pacific wants to surround itself with a colossal barrier against the ocean to try to escape increasingly violent waves and not be swallowed by the sea in the coming decades.

After ten days orbiting the Moon, science confirms that the astronauts of the Artemis II mission return with altered bodies.

With 7.4 trillion tons of artificial snow pumped in 10 years, an extreme operation could stabilize the West Antarctic ice sheet and prevent a sea level rise of more than 3 meters, but it would require snow cannons, ocean water, and energy on an almost industrial scale at the end of the world.

Peru built a tunnel at an altitude of 4,738 meters cutting through the Andes Mountains, and the road leading to it reaches 4,818 meters, making it the highest paved road in the entire world.

With breathtaking views, a pilot embarks on a journey aboard a Cessna Caravan, facing extreme altitude and operational challenges while flying over Afghanistan for the first time.

Climate turnaround in Brazil brings rain of up to 260 mm, heat of 36°C, and the arrival of the first cold with a risk of frost at the end of April, impacting various regions.

Amazon is not joking around: it launches the Fire TV Stick HD, 30% thinner and 30% faster with Wi-Fi 6 and AI-powered Alexa, as well as 4K QLED TVs that are 38 mm thick with up to 2,000 works.

Called Super Mario, the businessman leaves his life on land, spends 25 years living on Royal Caribbean cruises, and spends $100,000 a year to live in a cabin with a balcony in the middle of the sea.

With about 100 meters in length, a capacity of over 800 tons, and operation without ports in combat zones, the new ship of the U.S. Marines emerges as a key piece that could redefine warfare in the Pacific and challenge rival powers.

A drone that flies, dives to 40 meters, resurfaces next to the target, and attacks in swarms transforms Belgium into a pioneer of a hybrid weapon that crosses sky and ocean undetected.

Drone that flies and dives up to 40 meters emerges as a new naval hybrid weapon and could change maritime and coastal warfare strategies.

How the drone that alternates between flight and diving works

Swarming capability expands strategic potential

Unmanned platform eliminates human risks in critical missions

Operational invisibility emerges from the combination of air and sea

Development indicates a new phase of hybrid warfare

Applications go beyond direct combat

System is still in development and validation phase

Belgium enters the race for military technologies that seem science fiction

The oldest tree in the world, alive since before the birth of Jesus Christ, is cut down in a scientific study and the case changes environmental preservation rules.

Seen from space, an image taken by an astronaut shows an unlikely oasis in the Saudi Arabian desert, protected by a terrain that slows the advance of sand, surrounded by green circles, remnants of an extinct lake and nearly 10,000 years of preserved history.

While in Brazil a 10-story building takes 2 years to complete, in China a company stacks pre-fabricated modules and raises the entire building in just 28 hours and 45 minutes.

An entire island in the Pacific wants to surround itself with a colossal barrier against the ocean to try to escape increasingly violent waves and not be swallowed by the sea in the coming decades.

After ten days orbiting the Moon, science confirms that the astronauts of the Artemis II mission return with altered bodies.

With 7.4 trillion tons of artificial snow pumped in 10 years, an extreme operation could stabilize the West Antarctic ice sheet and prevent a sea level rise of more than 3 meters, but it would require snow cannons, ocean water, and energy on an almost industrial scale at the end of the world.

Peru built a tunnel at an altitude of 4,738 meters cutting through the Andes Mountains, and the road leading to it reaches 4,818 meters, making it the highest paved road in the entire world.

With about 100 meters in length, a capacity of over 800 tons, and operation without ports in combat zones, the new ship of the U.S. Marines emerges as a key piece that could redefine warfare in the Pacific and challenge rival powers.

Embraer signs strategic partnership with the Mahindra group to manufacture the C-390 Millennium military cargo aircraft in India.

USA on alert: intelligence detects China’s plans to send advanced radar systems to Iran amid global tensions.

The disappearance of a high-ranking general and suspicious deaths of elite scientists in secret U.S. projects prompt an urgent investigation by the White House.

At 6,800 meters in the Pacific, the deepest shipwreck ever recorded was found, and within it lies the story of sailors who faced Japanese battleships with a ship five times smaller…

With breathtaking views, a pilot embarks on a journey aboard a Cessna Caravan, facing extreme altitude and operational challenges while flying over Afghanistan for the first time.

Climate turnaround in Brazil brings rain of up to 260 mm, heat of 36°C, and the arrival of the first cold with a risk of frost at the end of April, impacting various regions.

Amazon is not joking around: it launches the Fire TV Stick HD, 30% thinner and 30% faster with Wi-Fi 6 and AI-powered Alexa, as well as 4K QLED TVs that are 38 mm thick with up to 2,000 works.

Called Super Mario, the businessman leaves his life on land, spends 25 years living on Royal Caribbean cruises, and spends $100,000 a year to live in a cabin with a balcony in the middle of the sea.

With about 100 meters in length, a capacity of over 800 tons, and operation without ports in combat zones, the new ship of the U.S. Marines emerges as a key piece that could redefine warfare in the Pacific and challenge rival powers.