The American defense corporation Lockheed Martin has officially unveiled the innovative Lamprey ("Minoga") underwater unmanned aerial vehicle. The uniqueness of the development lies in its biomimetic approach: the drone mimics the behavior of parasitic fish, allowing it to move stealthily over long distances by attaching itself to the hull of enemy or commercial vessels. This was reported by Defense Express, writes UNN.
Details
The name of the apparatus, Lamprey, directly refers to the family of jawless fish that cling to their victims with suckers. The Lockheed Martin drone is equipped with sixteen powerful electromagnetic or vacuum sucker imitators.
This allows it to "hitchhike," saving its own battery charge while moving towards its target. Moreover, while attached, the drone can deploy a special generator to regenerate energy from the water flow generated by the movement of the host vessel.
Thanks to its small size and attachment system, the Lamprey is virtually impossible to detect using standard sonar, as its signature blends with the noise of a large vessel. This concept is ideal for covert penetration into protected waters, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region, where the drone can use the intense traffic of commercial vessels to approach enemy military bases.
Modularity and Payload
Despite its compact dimensions, the Lamprey has a modular compartment with a volume of about 0.68 cubic meters for accommodating various equipment. The developers have provided three main payload configurations, making the apparatus a versatile tool for underwater warfare:
- Strike module: armed with small torpedoes to destroy boats or small submarines.
- Diversionary module: deploying false targets that mimic the signatures of large submarines to distract enemy ASW.
- Reconnaissance module: three launchers for micro-drones capable of performing reconnaissance or strike missions directly in the enemy's port.
Although the exact navigation characteristics and range are still classified, Lockheed Martin emphasizes that the user will be able to easily adapt the drone to specific tasks.