Google Maps ‘removes’ photo of this ‘top-secret US underwater drone’

Google has reportedly ‘edited’ or ‘removed’ a photo of a ‘top-secret’ vessel, nicknamed “Manta Ray”, after its picture went viral online. A report said that the underwater drone has been clearly visible, docked at Port Hueneme naval base in California.
According to a report by The New York Post, a high-resolution satellite photo shows the distinctive, smooth hull of the submarine contrasting with surrounding vessels.After the image popped up online, Manta Ray ‘disappeared’ and was apparently replaced with boats.
The report indicates the “Manta Ray” is an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) and a top-secret US submarine prototype weapon designed for extended, low-power operation at significant depths.

‘Manta Ray’ is manufactured by Northrop Grumman as part of a US Navy project to develop long-range underwater weapons. The report said that it is an underwater drone that can hibernate on the seafloor for “very long periods” without need of it being refuelled.
It uses “efficient, buoyancy-driven gliding to move through the water. Our successful, full-scale Manta Ray testing validates the vehicle’s readiness to advance toward real-world operations,” said Dr. Kyle Woerner, Manta Ray program manager at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
“The craft is designed with several payload bays of multiple sizes and types to enable a wide variety of naval mission sets,” Woerner added.
It has a modular design, which makes it easier to be disassembled and transported in shipping containers. Manta Ray has been tested by the US Navy off Southern California for over three months, the Telegraph reported.
Defense analysts believe that the drone technology is aimed at countering Russian and Chinese submarine operations, the report noted.
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