Manta Ray

Manta Ray is a DARPA-funded extra-large uncrewed underwater vehicle demonstrator built by Northrop Grumman to validate long-duration, long-range, payload-capable autonomous undersea operations without dependence on crewed host platforms or forward basing. The vehicle is designed to be shipped in modular sections inside standard containers, assembled in theater, and deployed for months-long missions, with the ability to bottom and harvest energy from the environment to extend endurance.

A full-scale prototype completed in-water testing off the coast of Southern California in early 2024, demonstrating propulsion, buoyancy control, and autonomous navigation. Manta Ray is a DARPA prototype and is not yet a U.S. Navy program of record; it is being used to inform requirements for future extra-large UUV acquisitions alongside the Boeing Orca XLUUV and the Navy's evolving hybrid-fleet concept.

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