DARPA will test out a new piece of heavy-duty military machinery in April: An unmanned, 140-ton, 132-foot-long submarine drone. “The “Anti-Submarine Warfare Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel, ” ACTUV for short, was originally announced by the Department of Defense as a “submarine hunter” in 2010.
The purpose of this unmanned surface vessel, a newly developed technology generally known by the acronym USV, is to track stealth submarines. “This would track adversaries’ ultra-quiet diesel-electric submarines over thousands of miles at a fraction of current costs,” according to DARPA’s report.
The ship will also assist other U.S. Naval ships by running logistics for operations. “Imagine an unmanned surface vessel following all the laws of the sea on its own, and operating with manned surface and unmanned underwater vehicles,” DARPA Deputy Director Dr. Steve Walker said in a statement to media.
DARPA plans to launch their new creation April 17 at the Vigor Shipyards in Oregon. Need a clearer picture? Check out DARPA’s concept video released in May.
