laststandonzombieisland

Out of nowhere, DARPA and Northrop Grumman this week debuted the Manta of the deep sea.

No, not quite the above, but possibly cooler:

As noted by DARPA:

The Manta Ray prototype uncrewed underwater vehicle (UUV) built by performer Northrop Grumman completed full-scale, in-water testing off the coast of Southern California in February and March 2024. Testing demonstrated at-sea hydrodynamic performance, including submerged operations using all the vehicle’s modes of propulsion and steering: buoyancy, propellers, and control surfaces.

Manta Ray aims to develop and demonstrate a new class of long-duration, long-range, payload-capable UUVs ready for persistent operations in dynamic maritime environments. DARPA is engaging with the U.S. Navy on the next steps for testing and transition of this technology.

And at that, drink in this very relevant recent video commentary by Rear Admiral Tim Gallaudet, U.S. Navy (Retired) from the USNI on sea-going ocean drones.