US Navy develops „clingy“ underwater drone

At the end of February, US defence contractor Lockheed Martin announced a newly developed autonomous underwater device with sensor/effector charging that can dock onto floating vehicles like a limpet mine, be transported and recharge its batteries using the water current or its own hydrogen cell.

The drone, known as the Multi-Mission Autonomous Undersea Vehicle (MMAUV) and named „Lamprey“, is appropriately named after the lamprey, a jawless fish that attaches itself to its prey with its suction mouth, cuts through the outer skin and sucks out the victim from the inside. The system is said to be capable of two basic mission modes: in Assured Access mode it conducts covert reconnaissance, surveillance and target designation - in Sea Denial mode it triggers electronic jamming or deploys decoys, or carries out direct attacks. LAMPREY would be the mother of all underwater drones, which could make large, very expensive and manned surface platforms obsolete in the future! Gamechanger?