The US navy has performed sea trials of the progressive ‘Manta Ray’ drone.
The prototype of the Manta Ray uncrewed underwater automobile (UUV), developed by Northrop Grumman, underwent complete testing off the coast of Southern California in February and March 2024.
Throughout the testing part, the Manta Ray demonstrated distinctive hydrodynamic efficiency, together with submerged operations using all modes of propulsion and steering, akin to buoyancy, propellers, and management surfaces. Dr. Kyle Woerner, the DARPA program supervisor for Manta Ray, expressed satisfaction with the profitable testing, emphasizing the automobile’s readiness for real-world operations. He highlighted the automobile’s modular design, enabling fast meeting within the area from subsections.
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Northrop Grumman transported the Manta Ray prototype in subsections from its manufacturing location in Maryland to the testing website in California, showcasing the benefit of delivery and meeting. This functionality helps the potential for fast deployment worldwide, minimizing the necessity for pier area at naval amenities. Woerner emphasised the power effectivity of the automobile, each throughout transit and deployment, because it makes use of environment friendly, buoyancy-driven gliding to navigate via water.
The Manta Ray challenge goals to develop and exhibit a brand new class of long-duration, long-range UUVs able to persistent operations in dynamic maritime environments. DARPA is collaborating with the US Navy to find out the subsequent steps for testing and transitioning this know-how into operational use.
Moreover, PacMar Applied sciences, one other participant within the Manta Ray challenge, is continuous testing of its full-scale power harvesting system in 2024.
Analysts speculate that the U.S. Navy’s curiosity in growing such drones is to counter potential submarine operations by adversaries like Russia and China.