US Navy tests shark-like underwater drone created for surveillance purposes

The US Navy has completed the testing of an experimental shark-like unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) to be used for intelligence gathering, surveillance, reconnaissance and inspecting ship hulls, a US Navy Public Affairs report says, according to Sputnik.

Dubbed the GhostSwimmer, the UUV uses biomimicry and "is the latest in a series of science-fiction-turned-reality projects" according to the Navy report issued Friday.

The first GhostSwimmer tests led to the successful gathering of data on tides, currents, wakes, and weather.

The GhostSwimmer is 5 feet (about 1.5 meters) long and weighs 100 pounds (45 kilograms). It can dive to depths of 300 feet (91 meters) and can operate autonomously or be tied to a tether in order to transfer data to the operator.

The UUV mimics the movement of a large fish, which makes it difficult to detect. The GhostSwimmer is part of the US Navy's Silent NEMO project, an experimental effort to use biomimicry for underwater vehicles.