BELOW SUPERNAV drop zone ⇩

Giant underwater US drone pictured in satellite images

  • Satellite images show what appears to be US unmanned submarine
  • The vessel is dubbed the 'Manta Ray' because of its shape
  • Officials working with the Navy on testing and use in full-scale operations

MAIN AREA TOP drop zone ⇩

ovp test

mLife Diagnostics LLC: Oral Fluid Drug Testing

Male shot by female at Shreveport apartment

Class to create biodiverse backyard

Rules for outbursts at Caddo School Board Meeting

(NewsNation) — You can see a lot on Google Maps, including a satellite image of what appears to be the U.S. military’s prototype uncrewed submarine.

Dubbed the “Manta Ray” because of its shape, the image of an underwater drone at a naval base near Los Angeles has garnered attention in recent days.

Northrop Grumman, the drone’s builder, released photos of Manta Ray earlier this year, but the satellite images provide the first look at the drone’s sheer size.

The Manta Ray project has been underway within the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) since 2020.

DARPA isn’t commenting on the Google image or saying much about the recent testing in Southern California, which they deemed a success.

Recently released videos and images show the Manta Ray prototype in the waters off Southern California.

The vehicle is said to use “buoyancy-driven gliding” to move through the water. It’s capable of traveling long distances at great speed and anchoring to the sea floor to hibernate until needed.

Unlike a sub, Manta Ray is modular, so it can be disassembled quickly for transport and launched from anywhere without travel time by sea.

The technology is all part of what some call “sea drone warfare” — something America’s biggest adversaries are also plotting for.

Future battles are largely expected to involve uncrewed AI-enabled drones both in the skies and deep underwater.

DARPA is now working with the Navy on the next steps in testing and use in full-scale operations.

Russia claims to have a nuclear-armed prototype drone sub, but some doubt its existence.

It’s also suspected that China is mass-producing uncrewed drones to create a so-called “great wall” underwater in the South China Sea.

Tech

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed

MAIN AREA MIDDLE drop zone ⇩

Trending on NewsNation

MAIN AREA BOTTOM drop zone ⇩

tt

KC Chiefs parade shooting: 1 dead, 21 shot including 9 kids | Morning in America

Witness of Chiefs parade shooting describes suspect | Banfield

Kansas City Chiefs parade shooting: Mom of 2 dead, over 20 shot | Banfield

WWE star Ashley Massaro 'threatened' by board to keep quiet about alleged rape: Friend | Banfield

Friend of WWE star: Ashley Massaro 'spent hours' sobbing after alleged rape | Banfield

Clear

la

54°F Clear Feels like 54°
Wind
2 mph ENE
Humidity
50%
Sunrise
Sunset

Tonight

Cloudy. Low 49F. Winds light and variable.
49°F Cloudy. Low 49F. Winds light and variable.
Wind
2 mph NE
Precip
1%
Sunset
Moon Phase
Waning Crescent