The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has unveiled a new underwater drone prototype called Manta Ray.
The unmanned underwater vehicles, known as UUVs, are capable of long range travel and can carry payloads that can include torpedoes and ballistic missiles. However, no payload parameters were specified.
DARPA announced The vehicle completed underwater testing off the coast of Southern California in February and March 2024 after being transported from Maryland by defense contractor Northrop Grumman, it said.
Testing includes demonstrations of the vehicle’s propulsion modes using hydrodynamic performance, underwater maneuvers, buoyancy, propellers, and control surfaces.
Dr. Kyle Warner, program manager for the weapon, said: “Our successful full-scale Manta test allows this weapon to be rapidly assembled in the field from modular subsections before progressing towards real-world operations. “We have verified that we are ready to do so.”
Werner’s Official biography He has been working at DARPA since 2018, and previously worked at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard with a focus on Expeditionary Robotic System payload recruitment and submarine modernization, it said.
The vehicle was assembled using a combination of “cross-country modular transport, on-site assembly, and subsequent deployment.”
This means the UUVs, described as “super-large UUVs,” can be quickly deployed around the world without crowding the piers of naval facilities.
“By transporting the vehicle directly to its intended operational area, we save on the energy consumed by the vehicle during transport,” says Woerner. “Once deployed, the vehicle utilizes efficient buoyancy-driven gliding to navigate underwater. It is designed with a payload bay.
DARPA specifically noted that Manta is intended to demonstrate the capabilities of a new class of long-lasting, long-range, payload-capable UUVs. This appears to indicate that the Pentagon is ready to bring in an underwater drone force for operations.
Published on the program List of plans To advance certain key technologies for specific underwater drone designs. This includes:
- New energy management techniques for UUV operations and subsea energy collection techniques at operationally appropriate depths.
- Low power, high efficiency underwater propulsion system.
- Low power means of detecting threats and hazards underwater.
- A unique approach to support highly efficient underwater navigation.
- Find new approaches to reduce biofouling, corrosion, and other material degradation on long-duration missions.
It was also noted that PacMac Technologies is also working on testing an energy harvesting system for manta rays in 2024.
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