United States tests futuristic underwater drone
The United States has completed the first full-scale test at sea of a futuristic underwater drone capable of hibernating on the sea floor.
The Manta Ray prototype, produced by US aviation giant Northrop Grumman, is part of a US navy project to develop a new class of underwater drone capable of carrying out longer missions.
The autonomous vessel, which looks smaller than the small boat pictured, has been designed to move across the ocean “for very long periods of time” without supervision or the need to refuel.
“Once deployed, the vehicle will glide efficiently and be powered by buoyancy to move through the water,” said Dr Kyle Woerner, Manta Ray program manager at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, better known by its acronym, Darpa.
Defense analysts speculate that the US Navy wants to develop unmanned aircraft capable of carrying out long missions scouring the oceans in search of Russian and Chinese submarines.
“The aircraft is designed with multiple payload bays of varying sizes and types to enable a diverse set of naval missions,” Dr Woerner said.