Northrop Grumman’s Manta Ray Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle Prototype is Fully Autonomous

Northrop Grumman’s Manta Ray Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle (UUV) prototype may one day replace submarines entirely. For starters, the submersible is payload-capable to support a variety of missions and fully autonomous to boot, which means it does not require any on-site human logistics.

Thanks to its modular design, the Manta Ray can easily be shipped in five standard shipping containers to support expeditionary deployment and in-field assembly worldwide. When deployed, the UUV is extremely energy efficient, as it has the ability to anchor to the seafloor and hibernate in a low-power state.

Manta Ray was built through a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) program aimed at advancing key technologies to benefit future UUV designs, including techniques to manage energy, increased payload capacity, low-power propulsion and more,” said Northrop Grumman.