Navy receives first Orca unmanned submarine from Boeing
The sea service wants to acquire extra-large uncrewed underwater vehicles that can travel long distances and lay mines without putting sailors in harm’s way.
BY
JON HARPER
DECEMBER 20, 2023
Boeing delivered the first Orca underwater drone to the Navy this month after a series of tests at sea, the company announced Wednesday.
The service is pursuing extra-large unmanned undersea vessels (XLUUV) that can travel long distances and lay mines without putting sailors in harm’s way. The initiative is part of a broader push to acquire new robotic platforms for the fleet. The Navy is also acquiring and deploying a variety of unmanned surface vessels and unmanned aerial systems.
In a press release, Boeing described Orca as “a new class of autonomous submarine that can perform long duration critical missions to achieve undersea maritime dominance in changing environments and contested waters.”
“This is the culmination of more than a decade of pioneering work, developing a long-range, fully autonomous undersea vehicle with a large payload capacity that can operate completely independently of a host vehicle,” Ann Stevens, vice president of maritime and intelligence systems at Boeing, said in a statement. “I’ve had the distinct pleasure of witnessing our team bring this first-of-its-kind capability to life, and I’m proud of their innovation, perseverance and unwavering commitment which has yielded the most advanced and capable UUV in the world. With the Navy’s partnership, we look forward to continuing to deliver this game-changing vehicle to the fleet.”
https://defensescoop.com/2023/12/20/navy-first-orca-unmanned-submarine-boeing/
