Northrop Grumman and Martin Defense Group have received a new contract each to continue developing a payload-capable unmanned underwater vehicle demonstrator for Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

The two contractors will perform subsystem testing and in-water demonstration of their respective Manta Ray UUVs under the second phase of the development program, the agency said Monday.

DARPA envisions Manta Ray operating on long-range missions in ocean environments for extended duration without requiring on-site human logistics support or maintenance.

“DARPA’s Manta Ray program has made significant breakthroughs toward enabling payload-capable autonomous underwater vehicles to operate independently of crewed vessels or support infrastructure,” said Cmdr. Kyle Woerner, Manta Ray program manager at DARPA.

Both Northrop and Martin are participants of the effort’s first phase, where they demonstrated the maturity and readiness of technology designs for endurance missions.