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Protecting a major port from drones presents an increasingly difficult security problem. Maritime facilities cover large areas and contain ships, fuel infrastructure and other valuable assets, while unmanned aircraft and surface vessels can approach from directions that may not be fully covered by shore-based defenses. Repeated Ukrainian attacks on Russian maritime targets have highlighted that vulnerability and pushed Russia toward additional layers of protection.
One of the latest concepts appears unusually simple: a floating gun position stationed in the approaches to a harbor. The platform, identified in reports as the PLOT-40 or PLOT-47, resembles a compact pillbox mounted on a pontoon rather than a conventional military vessel.
According to Interesting Engineering, available imagery shows a structure approximately 4.5 meters long and 2.4 meters wide, supported by four cylindrical floats. A small enclosed position with sloped walls sits in the center, while a weapon system is mounted above it. Reports suggest the weapon could be either a 12.7 mm heavy machine gun or a 20 mm autocannon, accompanied by equipment that may provide target detection and guidance.
The basic concept is to position relatively inexpensive guns and sensors directly along likely drone approach routes. Rather than requiring every threat to be intercepted by larger naval vessels or more expensive air-defense systems, a network of floating positions could provide another short-range defensive layer around ships and infrastructure.
Several details remain uncertain. Images appear to show seating inside the structure, suggesting personnel may operate from the platform, but it is unclear whether it is intended to remain permanently manned or whether any part of the engagement process is automated.
The platform also appears to lack its own propulsion system. It would therefore need to be towed into position, effectively functioning as a stationary floating outpost once deployed. Its visible protection also appears limited, potentially making it vulnerable to direct attack.
The concept has emerged as Ukrainian forces increasingly employ combinations of aerial and maritime drones against naval facilities. Russian ports, including Novorossiysk, have repeatedly faced unmanned attacks, forcing defenders to protect not only ships but also extensive coastal infrastructure and harbor approaches.
From a defense perspective, the concept illustrates the changing economics of counter-drone warfare. Using sophisticated missiles against relatively inexpensive drones can quickly become unsustainable, encouraging militaries to combine electronic warfare, conventional guns, sensors and cheaper defensive platforms.
A floating gun position will not provide comprehensive protection on its own. Its limited mobility and apparent lack of substantial armor create obvious weaknesses. But positioned as one element within a layered harbor-defense network, such platforms could add additional firing positions where shore-based systems have limited coverage.
More broadly, the experiment demonstrates how drone warfare is reshaping maritime security. Protecting a port increasingly means defending not just the airspace above it, but the entire coastal approach, from the shoreline to the water itself.
