Since the days of the Cold War, the United States and Russia have been competing in a constant race for supremacy, both in the space and military fields. This time, however, the challenge changes venues: the race to build submarine drones.
This is the case of the Manta Ray, a sophisticated submarine drone attracted to the naval base in Port Hueneme, California, and named for its likeness with the fish. Such armament is in fact taking drone warfare to a level never seen before.
Traditional drones revolutionized the way aerial combat was conducted because of their ability to be remotely piloted and without equipment on board, as demonstrated during the Ukraine-Russia war that began with the February 24, 2022 invasion. In addition, these drones were often modified to carry and drop bombs on strategic enemy targets.
The next evolutionary step involves the study and design of underwater drones intended for warfare operations. As a result, the United States and Russia are now engaged in the development of their own undersea drones, which promises to be crucial in gaining supremacy in future conflicts.
Moscow has announced plans to purchase 30 Poseidon drones, a torpedo-shaped robotic mini-submarine that Russia claims can reach speeds of 100 knots. According to Russian sources, the Poseidon’s nuclear propulsion system provides a range of 6,200 miles and would be capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.
Meanwhile, China is also expanding its fleet of unmanned maritime vessels, including submarine prototypes.
The West, and in particular the United States, has set a priority to be at the forefront of countering the threat that rogue states pose to vital undersea infrastructure.
These concerns have been heightened by mysterious incidents of suspected sabotage against submarine cables and the Nord Stream pipeline, which carried fuel from Russia to Europe.
“Unmanned systems have enormous potential to multiply our combat power,” stated Admiral Lisa Franchetti, chief of naval operations, at a conference earlier this year.
But unlike the Russian submarine drones, those tested by the United States are still unarmed.
In fact, the Manta Ray is part of a U.S. initiative to develop a submarine drone that can remain submerged for extended periods, focusing on intelligence gathering and deterring threats to submarine infrastructure while hunting down Russian or Chinese submarines.
The Manta Ray would be able to anchor itself to the seafloor and “hibernate” in a low-power mode, with the ability to travel more than 10,000 nautical miles carrying a 10-ton payload. This capability highlights one of the main advantages of undersea sabotage for malicious actors: the extreme difficulty of detection. However, this also presents challenges, such as the need to develop vehicles capable of maintaining communications with the surface.
However, a similar system, the Herne, is currently being tested off the British coast by BAE Systems.
