Manta Ray UUV assembly completed by Northrop Grumman
NewsApril 09, 2024
ANNAPOLIS, Md. Northrop Grumman engineers completed assembly of a full-size uncrewed underwater vehicle (UUV) prototype they dubbed Manta Ray. The UUV is an extra-large glider that will operate long-duration, long-range, and payload-capable undersea missions without need for on-site human logistics.
The Manta Ray UUV was built via a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) program targeted at advancing key technologies to benefit future UUV designs, including techniques for managing energy, increasing payload capacity, enabling low-power propulsion, and more.
According to Northrop Grumman the vehicle is s:
- 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 world-wide
To learn more about the Manta Ray UUV, click here.