Recently seen on Google Maps parked at the Port Hueneme naval facility in California, the top-secret US submarine prototype Manta Ray The picture went viral right after but was later removed and replaced with what looked to be altered boats.

Developed by Northrop Grumman, the Manta Ray is an autonomous vessel renowned for its look to a Star Wars spacecraft. Inspired by aquatic life, this streamlined design allows it to attach itself deep down and run in low-power mode, the New York Post reports.

Under a US Navy effort aiming at developing long-range underwater weaponry, this advanced underwater drone It can spend long stretches of time dormant on the seafloor without requiring refills. The Manta Ray moves through water using efficient, buoyancy-driven gliding, according to program manager Dr. Kyle Woerner of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

In an agency news release, Dr. Woerner remarked, "Our successful, full-scale Manta Ray testing validates the vehicle's readiness to advance toward real-world operations." He also noted that the Manta Ray's several cargo bays of different diameters help to accommodate a broad spectrum of naval operations.

The Manta Ray's modular construction lets it be disassembled and shipped in regular shipping containers, therefore saving the need for specific port infrastructure.

The Manta Ray project, according to DARPA, is a multi-phase endeavor comprising at-sea key technology demonstrations. The agency defines goals and chooses enabling technology for upcoming systems using a disciplined systems engineering methodology.

According to a recent Telegraph article, the US Navy conducted almost three months of vessel testing off Southern California's coast. Defense experts think that the US Navy's development of drone technology seeks to deliberately offset submarine operations by Russia and China. Russia has declared intentions to purchase around three dozen underwater drones among the continuous conflict in Ukraine.