Manta Ray

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency seeks proposals to develop a new class of long duration autonomous undersea vehicles called Manta Ray capable of transporting and deploying large payloads over long distances without maintenance or refueling. Proposals must address the classified aspects and objectives of the Manta Ray program, present a credible path to rapidly demonstrating program capabilities, and leverage or develop novel propulsion, sensing, and energy management systems. Proposals will be evaluated based on technical approach, schedule and costs, with proposals due by August 15, 2019.

There is no set-aside designation for this opportunity. It is anticipated the primary NAICS code will be 541715 and PSC code will be R408, with multiple awards expected under a three-phase program to design, develop and test vehicles through at least an 11-month base period and 7-month option, with only rough order of magnitude costs required for outyears. Key requirements include developing vehicles with low propulsive power, extending endurance through energy management technologies, and advanced navigation/command/control systems.