Northrop Grumman’s Manta Ray completes testing
The Northrop Grumman Manta Ray being towed out for trials. (Photo: Northrop Grumman)
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation was selected in 2021 to build and test and Manta Ray unmanned underwater vehicle (UUVs). A second platform has been under development by PacMar Technologies.
Northrop Grumman has completed full-scale, in-water testing of its Manta Ray UUV which will be developed for the US DoD’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
Testing took place in February and March off the coast of southern California during which it demonstrated at-sea hydrodynamic performance, including submerged operations, so that the vehicle’s modes of propulsion and steering, buoyancy, propellers and control surfaces could all be evaluated.
The company shipped the Manta Ray prototype in subsections from the build location in Maryland as part of an effort to demonstrate transportability and capability to be deployed worldwide with limited support.
The programme will aim to develop and demonstrate a new class of long-duration, long-range, payload-capable UUVs for persistent operations in dynamic maritime environments. DARPA and the US Navy have been working on designing the next steps for testing and transition of the technology.
Dr Kyle Woerner, programme manager for Manta Ray at DARPA, said: “Our successful, full-scale Manta Ray testing validates the vehicle’s readiness to advance toward real-world operations after being rapidly assembled in the field from modular subsections.
“Once deployed, the vehicle uses buoyancy-driven gliding to move through the water,” Woerner continued. “The craft is designed with several payload bays of multiple sizes and types to enable a wide variety of naval mission sets.”
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
![US weighs offshore warship production due to industrial limits]()
US weighs offshore warship production due to industrial limits
A Pentagon push to procure warships from Japanese and South Korean shipyards could reshape allied naval industrial strategy, but critics warn the approach risks hollowing out the domestic base Washington is seeking to restore.
-
![Lessons shaping the next phase of Arleigh Burke production post-Flight IIA]()
Lessons shaping the next phase of Arleigh Burke production post-Flight IIA
The accelerated delivery of the final Flight IIA destroyer, USS Patrick Gallagher, showcases the payoff of years of workforce investment and process reform at Bath Iron Works, with the lessons feeding into Flight III production.
-
![Sealift shortfalls set to drive opportunities across NATO navies]()
Sealift shortfalls set to drive opportunities across NATO navies
A new Council on Geostrategy primer warns that NATO cannot defend its own supply lines. As the alliance faces a sealift and logistics escort deficit, a wave of unawarded procurement is beginning to take shape.
-
![AUKUS advance on UUVs contrasts with Virginia-class compromise]()
AUKUS advance on UUVs contrasts with Virginia-class compromise
The AUKUS partnership is accelerating uncrewed undersea capability while its submarine arm inches forward, and Australia’s decision to settle for three in-service Virginia-class boats raises questions about industrial risk, dependency and whether Pillar II may deliver meaningful capability long before Pillar I can.
-
![Peru partnership may serve as a template for South Korean naval exports into South America]()
Peru partnership may serve as a template for South Korean naval exports into South America
With a growing pipeline of naval modernisation programmes in South America, South Korean companies could be set to expand their presence in the region as recent contract wins highlight growing collaboration.
