# Swimming Planes The Navy's Secret Diving and Flying Spy Plane By Greg Ponesse | Published 2006-02-26 | Unique Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-navys-swimming-spy-plane1 References: [cnn](http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/space/02/24/cormorant/index.html) Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works, famed for the U-2 and [Blackbird spy planes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lockheed-sr71-blackbird) that flew higher than anything else in the world in their day, is trying for a different altitude record: an airplane that starts and ends its mission 150 feet underwater. The Cormorant, a stealthy, jet-powered, [autonomous aircraft](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/helsing-ca1-europa) that could be outfitted with either short-range weapons or surveillance equipment, is designed to launch out of the Trident missile tubes in some of the [U.S. Navy's](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/attack-aircraft) gigantic Cold War--era Ohio-class submarines. These formerly nuke-toting subs have become less useful in a military climate evolved to favor surgical strikes over nuclear stalemates, but the Cormorant could use their now-vacant tubes to provide another unmanned option for spying on or destroying targets near the coast. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 5.6/10 - Popularity: 87% | Activity: 74% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 70% men, 30% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Unique](https://www.trendhunter.com/unique) > [Inventions](https://www.trendhunter.com/inventions) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Underwater Launch:** The trend of developing autonomous aircraft that can start and end missions underwater opens up new possibilities. - **Autonomous Surveillance:** The trend of developing autonomous aircraft with surveillance equipment offers disruptive innovation opportunities for defense industries. - **Multi-use Submarines:** The trend of converting submarines for multi-use purposes creates opportunities for defense industries. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Defense:** The Defense Industry could benefit from developing various short range weapons or surveillance equipment on an autonomous aircraft for underwater launch. - **Aerospace:** The Aerospace Industry can disrupt the market by pushing the boundaries of autonomous aircrafts and developing new launching mechanisms. - **Maritime:** The Maritime Industry can benefit by improving underwater launching mechanisms and in creating more autonomous marine vehicles. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Manta Ray-Inspired Submarines](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kronos-armored-submarine.md) - [Amphibious VTOL Drones](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/amphibious-vtol-drones.md) - [Compact Luxury Submersibles](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hightech-submersible.md) - [Submarine-Storing Superyachts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/submarine-storing-luxury-yacht.md) - [Supercar-Inspired Submersibles](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/uboat-worx-super-sub.md) - [Aquatic Shark-Inspired Drones](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/waterborne-drone.md) - [Waterproof Self-Flying Drones](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hoverair-aqua-drone.md) - [Multitasking Underwater Drones](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/multitasking-underwater-drone.md) - [Reduced Drag Aircrafts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/crane-program.md)