Northrop Grumman has always been at the forefront of innovations. This time, they have come up with the idea of an autonomous underwater vehicle and revealed images of a completed prototype. The project is named the Manta Ray Project.
The Manta Ray is an underwater drone. The contracts for the project were issued in 2020. The underwater vehicle intends to allow for extended underwater missions and energy harnessing.
The project focuses on developing low-power, high-efficiency underwater propulsion technologies with advanced sensing capabilities for navigating underwater environments. Like lunar rovers, these vehicles can function autonomously, investigating the ocean floor and carrying out numerous tasks without depending on the infrastructure already in place.
The vehicles are designed to carry out long-range missions and survive prolonged submersion, which presents engineering hurdles. Biofouling, corrosion, and material deterioration are factors that call for creative solutions and the incorporation of new technology into their design.
Northrop Grumman is concentrating on using ocean thermal energy to power its vehicles in partnership with Seatrec. These underwater vehicles are equipped with thermal energy-collecting pods that allow them to dock, recharge, and send data they have obtained.
Meanwhile, Martin Defense Group is investigating other approaches, maybe using underwater kites and cutting-edge energy-harvesting technologies created in collaboration with universities such as North Carolina State University.
The Navy’s interest in fleets of undersea vehicles highlights the strategic significance of advances in maritime technology. Projects like Manta Ray, which improve naval capabilities for underwater protection and monitoring, make it possible to deploy advanced mine systems.
The Manta Ray project would give humans unprecedented abilities for sea exploration. These breakthroughs are paramount in our understanding of the marine world and the vast swathes of seas and oceans that are, to date, unexplored. With projects like these coming to life, defense and exploration capabilities underwater will enhance manifold.
