From Shadow Fleets to Drone Boats: Russian Analyst on the Future of Naval Warfare

Pravda.Ru special correspondent Daria Aslamova interviewed associate professor at Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University Yuri Zverev explains why the era of beautiful ships has ended, what a "maritime Wagner” might be, and why sinking a modern warship is not as easy as it seems. Shadow Fleet As Normal Global Practice Q: Yuri, let's begin with what everyone has been talking about lately. The so-called "shadow fleet.” What is it really? A: There is no such concept as a "shadow fleet.” In economic geography there is a concept known as a flag of convenience. Ships belonging even to developed countries — including the United States — sail under such flags. Look at America's merchant fleet: it hardly exists. Why? Because the American merchant fleet sails under flags of convenience — the Cayman Islands, Panama. This is a normal practice. And notice something else: the Americans have almost no civilian shipbuilding. At one time the largest fleet in the world belonged to Liberia. Now it seems to be Panama. Even the Czech Republic, Switzerland, and Mongolia have fleets.