By Dean Murray via SWNS
A UFO-like vehicle has been spotted on Google Maps by hawk-eyed web users.
The craft was found in the satellite images, dated 2024, in the harbor next to the Port Hueneme U.S. Navy base in California.
X (formerly Twitter) users reacted to the mysterious find with comments including, “Cool, looks like a stingray,” and “It looks like the sub-flyer from Journey to the Bottom of the Sea.”
While Data Scientist John Basham wrote: “It means either they screwed up and allowed this thing to be photographed. Or they want it photographed to send enemy nations down a rabbit hole.”
However, the craft was revealed as the U.S. military’s Manta Ray prototype uncrewed underwater vehicle (UUV).
Built by manufacturer Northrop Grumman, it is designed for long-duration undersea missions.
The company announced they completed full-scale testing off the coast of Southern California in February and March.
Manta Ray was built through the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) program.
Although its future missions have not been revealed, Northrop Grumman describes the vehicle as a “new class of UUV, it is an extra-large glider that will operate long-duration, long-range and payload-capable undersea missions without need for on-site human logistics.”
“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,” Dr. Kyle Woerner, DARPA program manager for Manta Ray said in May. “The combination of cross-country modular transportation, in-field assembly, and subsequent deployment demonstrates a first-of-kind capability for an extra-large UUV.”
DARPA says they are engaging with the U.S. Navy on the next steps for testing and transition of the technology.
