Defense Department Seeks Drone That Vanishes Without a Trace

The Icarian Sea, located within the Mediterranean, is named after Icarus, who according to Greek Mythology fell into the sea after he flew too close to the sun and his wings of wax, fashioned by his father for their escape from the island of Knossos, melted. Icarus is synonymous with over-confidence and recklessness, but occasionally his story will be referenced for something more literal.

Geopost drone flying in Pourrieres, southeastern France, during a presentation of a prototype of a package delivery drone, on This picture taken on September 28, 2015. BORIS HORVAT/AFP/Getty Images

The Icarian Sea, located within the Mediterranean, is named after Icarus, who according to Greek mythology fell into the sea after he flew too close to the sun and his wings of wax melted. Icarus is synonymous with over-confidence and recklessness, but occasionally his story is referenced for something more literal.

On Friday, DARPA, the research arm of the Department of Defense, posted a solicitation calling for manufacturers to create a drone that can, like Icarus’s wings, melt away and disappear. The agency has committed $8 million to the ICARUS, or Inbound, Controlled, Air-Releasable, Unrecoverable Systems.

The drone must melt, evaporate, or disintegrate so that the largest remnant is smaller than 100 micrometers in length after just four hours.