The US government agency DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) has completed tests of an underwater unmanned vehicle assembled by Northrop Grumman called Manta Ray, or giant Manta. It is a unique low-energy glider resembling a stingray, which should independently undertake underwater missions of longer duration and over long distances in the future.
Tests conducted by the company off the coast of Southern California demonstrated the hydrodynamic properties of the machine at sea, including submersion using all means of propulsion and control of the vehicle: buoyancy, propellers and control surfaces. According to Kyle Woerner, DARPA program manager for Manta Ray, this is the first unmanned underwater vehicle of this size that can be transported across the country in a modular manner and then assembled directly in the field.
Manta Ray Unmanned Vessel • Northrop Grumman
“Transporting the vehicle directly to the area where it is to be operated saves energy that would otherwise be consumed in transit,” he explains, explaining why Northrop Grumman transported the prototype in modular parts from Maryland to a test site in California. In addition to efficient logistics and assembly, Woerner highlights the potential for rapid deployment on a global scale, without the need to use vast spaces in seaports and other facilities.
“Once the craft is deployed in the water, it uses effective buoyancy gliding to move. At the same time, it is designed with several storage spaces of different sizes and types, which enable the performance of various maritime tasks,” adds Woerner.
A new generation underwater drone
According to DARPA, the goal of the Manta Ray project is to develop and field a new class of unmanned underwater vehicles with long life, the ability to handle long-distance journeys and sufficient payload capacity. Thanks to this, in the future the vehicle could be used by the US Navy for sustained operations in an often dynamic maritime environment.
According to Capt. Scot Searles, program manager for unmanned maritime systems, the diesel-electric submarine weighs 85 tons and is nearly 26 meters long. In addition to various types of underwater drones, the US military also uses unmanned surface vehicles or unmanned aerial vehicles for intelligence and reconnaissance missions.
Manta Ray unmanned craft|Northrop Grumman
In addition to the U.S. Navy, the Manta Ray project is partnered with PacMar Technologies, which will continue testing its energy harvesting system this year. Here the vehicle should be able to obtain from underwater resources.
