US Navy designs drone that looks, swims like a shark

In an effort to keep divers safe, the U.S. Navy is using sharks.

Not real ones, though that would be a better story. The military developed a drone its calling "GhostSwimmer" that looks and swims like a shark.

The robot, which stretches five feet long and weighs around 100 pounds, made its debut at Virginia Beach Tuesday. It uses a tail to swim and move around in the water and it's complete with dorsal and pectoral fins.

It comes with a remote control but it's capable of swimming independently.

The drone is part of a project called Silent NEMO - sound familiar? The project requires service members to create new devices for the military with cutting-edge technology.

The GhostSwimmer is considered a "big leap forward," as one engineer put it, because it's the first time they've been able to mechanically replicate what a fish does.

The Navy is also funding the creation of robotic jellyfish which will be used for underwater surveillance.

The GhostSwimmer is currently being tasked with collecting data on water and weather conditions and keeping divers and Sailors safe. The Navy says it could eventually be used as a weapon.

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