People should definitely also look into the DARPA "Organic Air Vehicle" program, funded by you and me as American taxpayers through both Honeywell and BAE Systems (a UK defense contractor).
This DARPA program went dark for over a decade and has now re-emerged (after much denial that progress was continuing in the dark at the defense contractor BAE) as BAE's Kestrel single-ducted jet drone.
The research was funded by Americans, and now the profit will go to BAE shareholders, who will be selling these drones back to Americans to fight the forever wars.
The USA *definitely* has tech that goes faster than 40mph underwater.
The DARPA "Underwater Express" program was funded through both Northrop Grumman and General Dynamics. They produced a supercavitating submersible drone prototype in the 2010s that was based off the 1977 Russian Shkval.
1977's Shkval did >200mph , steerable underwater.
2010's DARPA Underwater express did about 100mph but could take cargo / occupants over longer distances.
If the DARPA program continued at these contractors, who knows what another decade of progress could do.
People should definitely also look into the DARPA "Organic Air Vehicle" program, funded by you and me as American taxpayers through both Honeywell and BAE Systems (a UK defense contractor).
This DARPA program went dark for over a decade and has now re-emerged (after much denial that progress was continuing in the dark at the defense contractor BAE) as BAE's Kestrel single-ducted jet drone.
The research was funded by Americans, and now the profit will go to BAE shareholders, who will be selling these drones back to Americans to fight the forever wars.
The USA *definitely* has tech that goes faster than 40mph underwater.
The DARPA "Underwater Express" program was funded through both Northrop Grumman and General Dynamics. They produced a supercavitating submersible drone prototype in the 2010s that was based off the 1977 Russian Shkval.
1977's Shkval did >200mph , steerable underwater.
2010's DARPA Underwater express did about 100mph but could take cargo / occupants over longer distances.
If the DARPA program continued at these contractors, who knows what another decade of progress could do.