A prototype of an uncrewed underwater vehicle (UUV) named Manta Ray completed in-water testing off the coast of Southern California in March, U.S. military officials announced recently.
“Our successful, full-scale Manta Ray testing validates the vehicle’s readiness to advance toward real-world operations after being rapidly assembled in the field from modular subsections,” Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency program manager for Manta Ray Dr. Kyle Woerner stated in an article posted by the Department of Defense agency Wednesday.
The Northrop Grumman-built vehicle is being developed to provide a new class of “long-duration, long-range, payload-capable UUVs” for maritime operations and will involve the U.S. Navy on its next steps for testing, according to the article.
“Once deployed, the vehicle uses efficient, buoyancy-driven gliding to move through the water. The craft is designed with several payload bays of multiple sizes and types to enable a wide variety of naval mission sets,” Woerner said.
The “fish-shaped drone submarine” can linger at the bottom of the sea for long periods of time without needing to refuel, the New York Post reported.
The Manta Ray prototype was shipped in subsections from Maryland to Southern California to demostrate the ease of shipping, assembly and rapid deployment, the article stated.