The new prototype of a United States aquatic drone, an Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV), named “Manta Ray” was recently spotted on Google Earth.
Knewz.com has learned that the futuristic aquatic drone can be spotted docked at the Port Hueneme naval base in California in the satellite images.
Screengrabs of the find have gone viral on the internet, with netizens recognizing the shape and build of the latest U.S. UUV.
The “Manta Ray” underwater drone prototype is shaped like its namesake aquatic animal, and much like the massive “winged” fish, it can also anchor itself deep underwater.
“Taking its name from the massive ‘winged’ fish, Manta Ray will operate long-duration, long-range missions in ocean environments where humans can’t go,” Northrop Grumman wrote about their latest underwater innovation.
“We developed our unique full-scale demonstration vehicle using several novel design attributes that support the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA’s) vision of providing ground-breaking technology to create strategic surprise.”
According to the fact sheet provided by Northrop Grumman, the Manta Ray prototype is:
“Payload-capable to support a variety of missions; Autonomous, without the need for on-site human logistics; Energy-saving, with the ability to anchor to the seafloor and hibernate in a low-power state; and Modular, for easy shipment in five standard shipping containers to support expeditionary deployment and in-field assembly worldwide.”
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) confirmed that the new U.S. aquatic drone prototype underwent an extensive testing phase in February and March 2024 off the coast of Southern California.
The tests “demonstrated at-sea hydrodynamic performance, including submerged operations using all the vehicle’s modes of propulsion and steering: buoyancy, propellers, and control surfaces,” per a press release published by the DARPA in May.
“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,” said Dr. Kyle Woerner, DARPA program manager for the prototype.
“The combination of cross-country modular transportation, in-field assembly, and subsequent deployment demonstrates a first-of-kind capability for an extra-large UUV.”
“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,” Dr. Woerner added.
Citing speculations from defense analysts, The Telegraph reported a day after DARPA’s statement that with the UUV prototype, the U.S. Navy is trying to develop a highly efficient drone “capable of long missions to scour the seas for Russian and Chinese submarines.”
On the other hand, Emma Salisbury of the British think tank Council on Geostrategy said in a statement to CNN back in May that China is also in the process of developing advanced underwater drones.
“While details are scarce, as with most Chinese capabilities, they have been developing them for at least 15 years and likely now have something similar to the Orca [the latest Australian UUV] (but with torpedoes) in the testing phase,” she said via CNN.
The post Top-Secret US Aquatic Drone Weapon Prototype Named ‘Manta Ray’ Spotted on Google Maps for the World to See appeared first on Knewz.
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Author: Samyarup Chowdhury
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