Jane Edwards 
Lockheed Martin has unveiled the Lamprey Multi-Mission Autonomous Undersea Vehicle, or MMAUV, a “plug-and-play” submersible designed to support U.S. Navy and allied operations in contested maritime environments.
Lockheed’s recent launch of an autonomous submersible comes as the Navy and industry continue to evaluate new approaches to maritime systems. Related discussions and broader Navy priorities will be explored at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Navy Summit on Aug. 27. Reserve your spot to join government and industry leaders for a day of dialogue on current challenges and opportunities facing the naval community.
What Is the Scope of LampreyMMAUV’s Mission Set?
The company said Monday LampreyMMAUV is built to support a range of undersea warfare and intelligence missions. These include intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, multi-intelligence collection and targeting and the deployment of equipment to the seafloor.
The platform can deliver undersea and air kinetic and non-kinetic effects. Its open-architecture payload bay is designed to accommodate mission-specific payloads, including anti-submarine torpedoes and unmanned aerial vehicle launch systems.
LampreyMMAUV is designed to deploy with a fully charged battery and can attach to a host surface ship or submarine without requiring modifications to the host vessel. Once deployed, the vehicle can recharge using built-in hydrogenators.
Lockheed identified two primary mission profiles for the vehicle: assured access operations focused on stealth intelligence, persistent surveillance and precision strike; and sea denial missions involving electronic disruption, kinetic engagement and decoy deployment.
What Did Lockheed VP Paul Lemmo Say About LampreyMMAUV?
“The modern battlespace demands platforms that hide, adapt and dominate,” said Paul Lemmo, vice president and general manager of sensors, effectors and mission systems at Lockheed.
“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,” added Lemmo.
How Does LampreyMMAUV Align With Autonomous Maritime Efforts?
The launch of LampreyMMAUV follows Lockheed’s recent $50 million investment in Saildrone, a maritime defense company developing autonomous surface vehicles for military missions, to accelerate the development of unmanned maritime capabilities.
In April 2025, the Defense Innovation Unit sought industry feedback on demonstration-ready uncrewed underwater systems for contested environments as part of the Combat Autonomous Maritime Platform project.
