(DailyChive.com) – The United States military is in the final stages of developing a state-of-the-art Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle (UUV) that will be capable of firing long-range payloads from under the sea, regardless of changing maritime conditions around the world.
The R&D wing of the Department of Defense, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has released photos of a Manta Ray prototype built by Northrop Grumman and tested near the Southern part of California.
The tests of the UUV conducted by DARPA demonstrated the vehicle’s satisfying hydrodynamic performance, including its ability to operate submerged using various propulsion and steering methods such as buoyancy, propellers, and control surfaces. DARPA stated that Northrop Grumman transported the Manta Ray prototype in parts from Maryland to California, which shows its potential for rapid deployment globally without consuming critical resources.
The UUV does not require any manual intervention by humans during long-lasting missions and can be completely controlled remotely, which will enable the US military to use it in intense battlegrounds without risking any soldiers’ lives.
Manta Ray’s program manager, Kyle Woerner, stated that transporting the vehicle directly to its operational zone saves the energy it would typically use during travel. Woerner further noted that the vehicle is so energy efficient that it can move through the water using an efficient buoyancy-driven glide.
The vehicle is also capable of supporting different types of naval missions due to its ability to carry payloads of different sizes and types, Woerner added.
Currently, the US Navy is collaborating with DARPA to perform more tests on the vehicle before deploying it on battlefields. This vehicle is expected to give an edge to the US military in the South China Sea.
The UUV will be the latest addition to the existing portfolio of the US Navy, which already contains all types of unmanned vehicles for underwater, surface, or aerial surveillance.
The Manta Ray initiative is focused on developing groundbreaking technologies to enhance the capabilities of future UUVs.
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