The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has asked industry for bids to help build an ocean floor-based attack system that can be deployed on remote command for the U.S. Navy‘s defense operations, Ars Technica reported Thursday.
Sean Gallagher writes DARPA wants the robotic pods to be designed to eject drones from the ocean bed to the surface in order to perform non-lethal attacks against targets.
These bids are for phase two of the agency’s Upward Falling Payloads program to develop prototypes for sea demonstrations that are scheduled in 2015 and 2016, according to the report.
The payload will be built to contain electronic and laser attack systems, sensors and airborne and aquatic drones, the report says.
Gallagher writes the sea tests could happen in the Western Pacific Ocean and near U.S. shorelines for some parts of the program.
