The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory has successfully launched a drone from a submerged submarine.
The picture is a real composite of a time-lapse photo taken during the launch.
The XFC unmanned aircraft is vertically launched from a 'Sea Robin' launch vehicle attached to the submerged submarine USS Providence.
The drone autonomously deploys its X-wing airfoil and assumes a horizontal flight path - which it can sustain for up to 6-hours.
From conception this idea took less than 6 years to produce and was less expensive compared to traditional decadelong programs.
Earlier this year, the