ARLINGTON, Va. - The DARPA-led Manta Ray UUV program achieved a significant milestone, completing in-water testing of a prototype vehicle off the coast of Southern California in February and March. The extra-large UUV glider performed testing of propulsion, steering, and control systems in the maritime environment.

Program manager Dr. Kyle Woerner stated, "Our successful, full-scale Manta Ray testing validates the vehicle’s readiness to advance toward real-world operations after being rapidly assembled in the field from modular subsections."

Due to its size, Northrop Grumman’s prototype was shipped in sections from the manufacturing location in Maryland to California.

The Manta Ray program aims to bring a long-range, long-endurance vessel capable of conducting multiple mission sets to the U.S. Navy. The vehicle’s buoyancy-driven glider characteristics separate the project from other U.S. UUV programs that employ more conventional power generation systems.

PacMar Technologies, another participant in the Manta Ray project, plans to conduct full-scale energy harvesting system testing this year.

Source: Naval Technology
Associated URL: https://www.naval-technology.com/news/manta-ray-uuv-prototype-completes-in-water-testing/?cf-view
Author: Harry McNeil 

SAN DIEGO - General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) and the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) celebrated the delivery of the first MQ-9A Extended Range (ER) Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) to Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Training Squadron 2 (VMUT-2). The delivery of the MQ-9A ER on March 18, 2024, is part of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) Unmanned Expeditionary (MUX) Program, which ordered eight MQ-9A ER UAS as part of the ARES Indefinite-Delivery/Indefinite-Quantity (ID/IQ) contract.

"It's exciting to make this first delivery to VMUT-2, which continues to build the relationship between GA-ASI, the USMC, and NAVAIR (Naval Air Systems Command)," said GA-ASI vice president of DoD Strategic Development Patrick Shortsleeve. "GA-ASI has been a contracted warfighting partner of the USMC for several years and VMUT-2's ability to produce aircrews for the USMC is a tremendous advancement in the USMC's organic capability."

VMUT-2 is a UAS training squadron for the USMC based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in Havelock, North Carolina.

The MQ-9A ER is designed with field-retrofittable capabilities such as wing-borne fuel pods and reinforced landing gear that extend the aircraft's endurance to more than 30 hours while further increasing its operational flexibility. The aircraft provides long-endurance, persistent surveillance capabilities with Full-Motion Video and Synthetic Aperture Radar/Moving Target Indicator/Maritime Mode Radar. An extremely reliable aircraft, MQ-9A ER is equipped with a fault-tolerant flight control system and a triple-redundant avionics system architecture. It is engineered to meet and exceed manned aircraft reliability standards.

Source: General Atomics
Associated URL: https://www.ga.com/ga-asi-delivers-first-mq-9a-extended-range-to-usmc-s-vmut-2

NEW DELHI - The Indian Navy has performed a successful test of its supersonic missile-assisted release of torpedo (SMART) system. The test took place on May 1. The weapon was fired from a ground mobile launcher.

The SMART is a next-generation missile system that carries a lightweight torpedo. The state-run Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is developing this system SMART.

Thw SMART system will enhance the anti-submarine warfare capability of the Indian Navy.

Source: DNA India
Associated URL: https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-india-successfully-tests-smart-missile-system-to-boost-navy-s-anti-submarine-warfare-capability-drdo-3087612
Author: Prashant Tamta