DARPA's Futuristic Manta Ray Unmanned Underwater Vehicle Sees First Full-Scale Ocean Testing

The Debrief ^ | May 6, 2024 | Micah Hanks

[telescope115]

Remember the “Flying Sub” from the Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea TV series? One of those would be cool….

[Red Badger]

I put together a model of the Seaview!......................

[Red Badger]

[srmanuel]

This is all cool and everything, I’m not against this type of research, meantime Russia is using cheap and deadly drones by in mass to take out Ukrainian armor relatively easily.

A bunch of goat herders in flip flops are using drones to attack ships in the Red Sea with $1000 drones who we have to shoot down with million-dollar missiles.

The spectacular drones like this one are great but where are the cheap expendable drones that other countries are using effectively.

[gundog]

Can it fly?

[Red Badger]

Not very far.......................

[gundog]

[Red Badger]

I saw that one time. Awesome!......................

[moovova]

Look at the grill on that thing...

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

I can imagine a lot of passive sensor and asub ops with those things. No mention of it, but I can imagine future models with a “burrowing” capability. That is, to cover themselves with dirt to blend in to the terrain, like some varieties of stingray.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=r4FS3Q3gCZ8

[TexasGator]

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In engineering, variable-buoyancy propulsion is the use of a buoyancy engine to provide propulsion for a vehicle.[1] The concept was first explored in the 1960s for use with underwater gliders, but has since been applied to autonomous aircraft as well.[2]

Principle
Variable-buoyancy propulsion is based on the ability of a vehicle to change its buoyancy from negative to positive and vice versa (for aircraft, this means alternating between being heavier and lighter than air). While positively buoyant, the vehicle trims bow up and uses its hydrofoils or wings to glide forward while rising, using buoyancy as the driving force. At the top of the climb, buoyancy is made negative and the vehicle trims bow down and glides forward while descending, using gravity as the driving force.[2] The process can be repeated for as long as the buoyancy engine can operate, and allows for highly energy-efficient albeit generally slow propulsion. The vehicle’s trajectory typically presents a sawtooth-like profile.[2] Various methods may be used to alter the buoyancy.

[moovova]

Exactly right. When you have an expansive budget funded by taxpayers, money is no object.

When money IS an object...creativity and ingenuity take over. Think Taliban “IEDs” in Afghanistan, Hamas “rockets” made from water pipe, and even VC pungee stake pits in Vietnam.

[Red Badger]

Essentially like a porpoise or whale swims............

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

And don’t forget...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45NtEXv7DZs

[null and void]

Soon to be a drug smuggling vehicle?

[Red Badger]

The cartels are already using mini-subs..............

[telescope115]

I had one too! And a model of the Flying Sub! Cool stuff. I wish I still had them…

[null and void]

Yep, relatively small quantities of drugs, with a human crew to be captured and interrogated.

[Red Badger]

IIRC, the last one caught was not crewed, it was remotely piloted......................