A United States-based company has unveiled a new type of unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) that integrates side scan sonar technology, and onboard processing. Developed by Klein Marine Systems, the UUV named MANTIS, combines high-quality imaging with a compact payload architecture.
The vehicle is designed to support mine countermeasures, search and recovery, hydrographic and geophysical survey, offshore infrastructure inspection, and environmental mapping missions. Klein’s integrated approach to sonar design.
The vehicle is integrated with Klein’s SmartArray Technology, which embeds key electronics directly within the transducer array to support a more compact system architecture and preserve valuable vehicle payload space.
The company claims that the vehicle is built for UUV platforms where space, power, speed, and data handling are critical. With advanced processing for dynamic focusing, multiple-look processing, and adaptive beamforming, MANTIS delivers consistent, high-resolution sonar imagery across changing survey ranges and speeds (6-8 knots), creating a strong foundation for machine learning and AI-assisted analysis.
The vehicle, built for demanding UUV missions, has motion-tolerant performance and has onboard real time sonar data processing capability, enabling real-time machine interpretation and action.
The company revealed that the vehicle is built for missions where coverage, image quality, and target confidence matter.
In its baseline 600 kHz configuration, the system supports up to 150 meters per side, delivering a total swath of up to 300 meters, with 1 cm across-track resolution and nominal 10 cm alongtrack resolution to 50 meters.
Additional configurations include operating frequencies of 720 kHz and 850kHz. The announcement positions the system as suitable for missions requiring both speed and image quality.
The company emphasizes compatibility with its SonarPro NXT software platform for data review, playback, and analysis.
