Lockheed Martin has unveiled the Lamprey Multi-Mission Autonomous Undersea Vehicle (LampreyMMAUV), an advanced underwater platform developed for the U.S. Navy and allied forces. Introduced on February 9, 2026, the internally funded system is designed to expand operational capabilities in contested maritime environments through autonomous underwater operations and a flexible payload architecture.
Taking inspiration from marine life that attaches to larger animals or objects, the platform can connect to host surface ships or submarines without requiring modifications to the host vessel. While attached and traveling to an operational area, built-in hydrogenators generate power to recharge the vehicle's batteries. Once in the designated area, Lamprey can detach from its host to carry out assigned tasks independently.
The vehicle features an internal payload bay with a stated capacity of 24 cubic feet (approximately 0.68 cubic meters). This modular bay allows naval operators to configure the platform with different equipment, including anti-submarine torpedoes, UAV launch systems, sensors and decoys. In addition to carrying payloads, Lamprey is designed to perform intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), targeting, multi-intelligence collection, seabed equipment deployment, and kinetic and non-kinetic operations involving electronic disruption and deception.
The platform is organized around two core concepts: Assured Access, which emphasizes covert intelligence, persistent monitoring, and precision-strike capabilities, and Sea Denial, which aims to restrict adversary movement using electronic disruption, decoys, and kinetic attacks. Paul Lemmo, vice president and general manager of Sensors, Effectors and Mission Systems at Lockheed Martin, said: "The modern battlespace demands platforms that hide, adapt and dominate. LampreyMMAUV was internally funded, letting us iterate at lightning speed and hand the Navy a true multi mission weapon that detects, disrupts, decoys and engages on its own."
