WAIKIKI (KHON2) — Officials with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) have confirmed that the unmanned drone spotted off Waikiki on Friday, Aug. 30 is designed for energy-harvesting.
Two local fisherman spotted the drone — which was designed by PacMar Technologies for DARPA– about two miles off Waikiki’s Kewalo Basin Harbor on Friday.
KHON2 reached out to DARPA on Friday and recently received a response from a spokesperson:
“The PacMar Technologies system identified off the coast of Waikiki is a prototype designed to test energy-harvesting. Using ocean currents to generate renewable energy is a capability being explored as part of DARPA’s Manta Ray program.”
DARPA spokesperson
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) researches military-grade weapons like high-energy laser technologies, hypersonic missiles and completed testing on this in-water Manta Ray prototype drone in May, 2024.
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Officials did not comment on the total cost of the drone off Waikiki.