Manta

Photo courtesy of NOAA

Manta is a UAV developed by BAE Systems for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).  The aircraft carries up to 12 pounds of payload.  It has been fitted with Printed Optical Particle Spectrometer (POPS) and an upward-looking radiometer (ULR) for Arctic ozone surveying.  Manta can be catapult-launched from a ship and has an endurance of up to five hours. 

In 2006, Manta was also tested off the U.S. Navy's Stiletto Technology demonstrator off San Diego (U.S. Navy photo below).