Kacey Roberts
Boeing has delivered to the U.S. Navy an unmanned submarine capable of operating independently of a host vehicle.
The company said Wednesday the Orca Extra Large Uncrewed Undersea Vehicle is a novel autonomous submarine that is purpose-built for extended and critical underwater missions.
Equipped for maneuvers both above and below the sea surface, Orca has undergone comprehensive testing at sea and has recently completed acceptance testing this month.
Boeing initiated the design and development of Echo Voyager in 2012, which served as a proof-of-concept XLUUV. The at-sea testing for Echo Voyager in 2017 then laid the groundwork for the Navy’s Orca XLUUV competition.
