The newest underwater drones can do what submarines can’t

The Marlin is an unmanned underwater vehicle that is currently used in a variety of applications, but primarily for searching for stuff.

You may be wondering – why would you use an unmanned vehicle underwater? After all, we're paying through the nose for nuclear-powered attack submarines. Why can't they do they job? It's a very good question. One of the big reasons is that nuclear attack submarines are primarily designed to sink enemy ships and attack. This requires that they be built very differently.

The Marlin can be deployed from the surface or from underwater.

(Photo by Lockheed)

Unmanned underwater vehicles, or UUVs (also called drones) are very useful for looking for things on the ocean floor. First of all, you can send them into hostile territory or a dangerous area (like a minefield), and really you just have to worry about the accountants if the drone hits the mine. Second, they can spend a lot of time searching, because they don't need to take breaks to feed themselves or sleep or other time-consuming human endeavors. Third, because they don't have to haul around the stuff that humans need to survive and function, they can be a lot smaller.

The Marlin Mk 2 can operate at depths of up to 1,000 feet, and has a top speed of four knots.

(Photo by Lockheed)

According to information obtained from Lockheed at the 2018 SeaAirSpace expo in National Harbor, Maryland, two versions of the Marlin are available or in the works. One, the Marlin Mk 2, is able to operate at depths of up to 1,000 feet and operate for up to 24 hours. It has a top speed of four knots. The Marlin Mk 3 is much larger, has a minimum endurance of 20 hours, a top speed of five knots, and can operate at depths of up to 4,000 feet. They can be deployed from a surface vessel or from underwater.

These days, when you are searching for something in the ocean, it can take a lot of time. And unlike the character from Finding Nemo, these Marlins won't give you some snarky sass.