DARPA’s “Manta Ray” Program, unmanned underwater vehicles(UUV) Build and Testing Phase-II

Please Support As and Give me a Feed Back to Improve. DARPA’s “Manta Ray” Program, unmanned underwater vehicles(UUV) Build and Testing Phase-II.
DARPA has awarded Phase 2 contracts to continue the Manta Ray program that began in 2020. The effort seeks to demonstrate innovative technologies allowing payload-capable autonomous unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) to operate on long-duration, long-range missions in ocean environments.
The two prime contractors, Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation and Martin Defense Group, are each developing unique full-scale demonstration vehicles.
“DARPA’s Manta Ray program has made significant breakthroughs toward enabling payload-capable autonomous underwater vehicles to operate independently of crewed vessels or support infrastructure,” stated CDR Kyle Woerner, Manta Ray’s program manager. “By investing in diverse solutions, DARPA strengthens our ability to transition innovative undersea technologies to our national security partners. Manta Ray is uniquely positioning itself to simultaneously introduce a new class of underwater vehicle while contributing key component technologies to other vital undersea programs.”
The first phase of Manta Ray began in 2020 and focused on preliminary testing approaches for vehicle energy management, reliability, navigation and obstacle avoidance, among other things.
“The Manta Ray program, according to DARPA’s statement. “The selected performers The Northrop Grumman and Martin Defense Group will now work on subsystem testing followed by fabrication, water demonstrations with full scale integration.”
Manta Ray is one of several unmanned maritime systems moving through the Pentagon’s research agencies that will likely end up in the Navy’s fleet. The sea service recently announced it started construction on a California-based facility that will house many of these systems as well as the testing activities they undergo.

[Angry_Hamster]

Welp that's your explanation for underwater UAP sightings

[RonLWilson]

One might hope that one of those partners that in which this might be shared is Taiwan in that this could really add to its ability to defend against an amphibious invasion.