Navy Will Soon Be Able To Launch Surprise Drone Attacks From The Deep Sea

Fox reports that DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, is developing a defense technology using special pods that hibernate on the ocean floor until they are deployed.

The pods, called “Upward Falling Payloads,” or UFPs, are 15 feet high and weigh 5,000 pounds. They contain state-of-the-art military technology such as unmanned aerial vehicles that can be used for monitoring and surveillance or weapon systems to be deployed as a form of defense.

The military can pre-position the pods throughout the world’s oceans, lying dormant until they are activated in weeks, months or years.

The UFPs can be activated remotely from anywhere in the world. Once deployed, the UFP riser rapidly floats to the surface with the help of a collar made with buoyant material. It then deploys on the surface, releasing whatever drone or weapon is contained inside.

According to its website, DARPA is currently building and sea-testing the system’s riser and communication components. It will conduct sea demonstrations during the next phase.