LampreyMMAUV, a new underwater drone that could revolutionize naval warfare

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The Ukrainian Navy has long used naval drones to successfully attack Russian invaders' ships. Now, this type of weaponry could take another leap forward. Yesterday, Lockheed Martin released an interesting video showcasing the Lamprey MMAUV, which the American company describes as a "multi-mission autonomous undersea vehicle" that is part of "a new class of smart, stealthy, do-it-all submersibles built to disrupt and deny enemy forces at sea."

Both the video and the Lockheed Martin website offer little information about the characteristics of this underwater drone. There is no information about its size, speed, or range. This is to be expected given the nature of this type of weapon.

Lockheed Martin has indeed indicated that the Lamprey will have a 24-cubic-foot (7.6 cubic meter) cargo bay capable of carrying torpedoes (above) and decoys (below). Despite its stealthy nature, it seems Lockheed Martin has decided to make a clear nod to Beatles fans, since the released images depict the Lamprey as a yellow submarine. I bet a lot of hippies won't find that funny, hehe...

One of the most interesting aspects of the video is that the Lamprey is designed to stalk its targets from the seabed, making it a virtually undetectable weapon. Lockheed Martin has indicated that one of its functions is to be a "watchful eye in the depths." "Lurk stealthily underwater, collecting vital intelligence to relay to friendly forces." But its missions extend beyond reconnaissance and intelligence gathering.

Lockheed Martin also notes that the Lamprey can be used as an aerial drone launcher: "When equipped with optional launch tubes, maneuver into contested areas to launch short-range surveillance or strike UAVs, giving friendly forces new options for monitoring and denying threats." Unmanned aerial vehicles used in attack missions are already a considerable problem for warships. Having a stealthy submarine launching them from close range will be an even greater problem.

Furthermore, Lockheed Martin also indicates that the Lamprey can be used to deploy disruptive decoys, making the enemy believe that an allied vessel is sailing where it is not. "Confuse and disrupt enemy sensors, creating virtual decoys to draw adversaries off-target."

Lockheed Martin has published a very brief PDF dossier on the Lamprey, offering some additional details. Specifically, it notes that this underwater drone would have "Next-gen Mission Autonomy: Follows complex commands and operates in teams," similar to the wolfpacks of German U-boats in World War II, but without a crew. It also states that it will be "Easy to upgrade, load out, and maintain: Access to all major systems in minutes."

The dossier also indicates something else we see in the video: "Innovative docking to ships or subs: Moves with the fleet and stays mission-ready." In the video, we see a Lamprey docking to the hull of an allied submarine, taking the opportunity to deploy a hydrogenerator and recharge. Thus, this unmanned submarine would have electric motors. Furthermore, this PDF dossier reveals another detail: the Lamprey could carry up to six aerial drone launchers.

The Lamprey could be a submersible capable of revolutionizing naval warfare, but it should be noted that it is not the first underwater vehicle of this type presented by an American company. In April 2025, Anduril Industries presented Copperhead, a family of autonomous underwater vehicles for military purposes. The presentation video is very similar to that of the Lamprey.

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Images: Lockheed Martin.