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It could be the ultimate weapon - a cannon capable of launching not missiles, but drones.

The US Navy says its system will be able to launch a 30 drone 'swarm' in under a minute.

They will then be able to fly together to carry out missions.

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The drones being launched from a tube, unfurling their wings as they begin to fly under their own power.

The US Navy says the drones are a 'new era in autonomy and unmanned systems for naval operations'.

The are being developed byofficials at the Office of Naval Research (ONR), and are  announced today recent technology demonstrations of swarming unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) — part of the Low-Cost UAV Swarming Technology (LOCUST) program.

LOCUST can launch swarming UAVs to autonomously overwhelm an adversary. 

The deployment of UAV swarms will provide Sailors and Marines a decisive tactical advantage.

'The recent demonstrations are an important step on the way to the 2016 ship-based demonstration of 30 rapidly launched autonomous, swarming UAVs,' said ONR program manager Lee Mastroianni.

The LOCUST program includes a tube-based launcher that can send UAVs into the air in rapid succession. 

The system then utilizes information-sharing between the UAVs, enabling autonomous collaborative behavior in either defensive or offensive missions.

Since the launcher and the UAVs themselves have a small footprint, the technology enables swarms of compact UAVs to take off from ships, tactical vehicles, aircraft or other unmanned platforms.

US Navy prepares to launch swarm robots out of cannons

The ONR demonstrations, which took place over the last month in multiple locations, included the launch of Coyote UAVs capable of carrying varying payloads for different missions. 

Another technology demonstration of nine UAVs accomplished completely autonomous UAV synchronization and formation flight.

However, although thyey can fly themselves, officials say that while the LOCUST autonomy is cutting edge compared to remote-controlled UAVs, there will always be a human monitoring the mission, able to step in and take control as desired.

One example shows the craft working together to bomb a collection of buildings, constantly updating each other on what is happening.

The LOCUST program includes a tube-based launcher that can send UAVs into the air in rapid succession.

'This level of autonomous swarming flight has never been done before,' said Mastroianni. 'UAVs that are expendable and reconfigurable will free manned aircraft and traditional weapon systems to do more, and essentially multiply combat power at decreased risk to the warfighter.'

The Navy says UAVs reduce hazards and free personnel to perform more complex tasks, as well as requiring fewer people to do multiple missions. 

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert said:'Unmanned systems in the air and water will employ greater autonomy and be fully integrated with their manned counterparts.' 

In August, the Office of Naval Research, or ONR, which is behind the program, demonstrated a swarming configuration of 13 robotic boats on Virginia's James River. 

The boats were able to perform a variety of tasks to protect a high-value ship from incoming craft.

Mastroianni told  Defense One at Navy League's Sea Air Space conference outside of Washington, 'In 3-D space you're doing maneuvers, so that's very complex.

'The other part of it is the ability to disaggregate and re-aggregate components,' he said. 

'That means telling the drones 'I need three of you to break off and go kill something or do some [intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, or ISR,] come back and reform.

''It's very, very dynamic.'