The following is the text of a news release from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA):
(ARLINGTON, Va.) — DARPA’s anti-submarine warfare (ASW) continuous trail unmanned vessel (ACTUV) program has designed, developed and constructed an entirely new class of oceangoing vessel — one intended to traverse thousands of kilometers over the open seas for months at a time, all without a single crewmember aboard.
The ACTUV technology demonstration vessel was recently transferred to water at its construction site in Portland, Ore., and conducted speed tests in which it reached a top speed of 27 knots (31 mph/50 kph). The vessel is scheduled to be christened on April 7, with open-water testing planned to begin in summer 2016 off the California coast.
For more information, visit www.darpa.mil.
To view a video of the ACTUV launch and testing, click here.
