Out of nowhere, DARPA and Northrop Grumman this week debuted the Manta of the deep sea.
No, not quite the above, but possibly cooler:
(Photo: Northrop Grumman)
The Manta Ray prototype uncrewed underwater vehicle (UUV) built by performer Northrop Grumman completed full-scale, in-water testing off the coast of Southern California in February and March 2024. Testing demonstrated at-sea hydrodynamic performance, including submerged operations using all the vehicle’s modes of propulsion and steering: buoyancy, propellers, and control surfaces.
Manta Ray aims to develop and demonstrate a new class of long-duration, long-range, payload-capable UUVs ready for persistent operations in dynamic maritime environments. DARPA is engaging with the U.S. Navy on the next steps for testing and transition of this technology.
(Photo: Northrop Grumman)
And at that, drink in this very relevant recent video commentary by Rear Admiral Tim Gallaudet, U.S. Navy (Retired) from the USNI on sea-going ocean drones.