The object visible on Google Maps appears to be the US military’s new underwater drone called Manta Ray, based at Naval Base Port Hueneme in California.
The unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV), shaped like its namesake sea creature, is part of a new program by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, part of the U.S. Department of Defense. The prototype is one in a series of UUVs the agency is designing for a variety of Navy purposes.
Aerospace and defense technology company Northrop Grumman has designed a drone capable of gliding underwater without a human on board. In a news release last month, the agency said the ultra-large drone will further develop “a new class of long-duration, long-range, payload-capable unmanned vehicles for persistent operations in dynamic maritime environments.”
A post circulated online this week claiming that the prototype was visible on Google’s geography services at a naval base in Ventura County, California. Using Google Maps, a similarly shaped object can be found parked between two ships in the harbor.
The agency did not immediately respond to USA Today’s request for confirmation.
The Manta Ray was successfully tested earlier this year.
Manta Ray successfully completed full-scale testing off the coast of Southern California in February and March, and Northrop Grumman released photos of the prototype floating on the surface and slightly submerged.
The test involved the aircraft’s propellers, control surfaces and ability to float on water, all of which are required for propulsion and steering functions, the agency said.
“The successful completion of Manta Ray’s full-scale testing proves its readiness to be rapidly assembled in the field from modular subsections and then move forward into real-world operations,” Kyle Warner, the agency’s program manager, said in a statement. “The combination of cross-country modular transportation, on-site assembly and subsequent deployment demonstrates a first-of-its-kind capability for a very large UUV.”
The agency said it is working with the Navy to evaluate next steps for testing the vehicles and the future impact of the technology.
The prototype was built in Maryland and tested in California.
The Manta Ray prototype was built in Maryland and then shipped in sections to California for testing, the agency said.
The agency said the vehicles’ ease of transportation and assembly will allow for rapid deployment around the world without taking up space on naval facilities’ wharfs.
“By shipping vehicles directly to their intended operating areas, we can save energy that the vehicles would otherwise consume during transport,” Warner said.
Honolulu-based engineering group Packmar Technologies is also testing its own vehicle, the Manta Ray, which is part of a “new class of long-duration, long-range autonomous underwater vehicles,” the agency said in a 2023 news release.
The company plans to continue underwater testing of the low-power, high-efficiency mode in 2024.
