The long-endurance Orca XLUUV is designed to operate autonomously for extended periods — significantly enhancing its operational range and effectiveness in challenging maritime environments.
Testing the waters and taking the plunge! 🌊
The Orca XLUUV completed a series of autonomous subsea maneuvers during at-sea testing. These are the first full dives for Orca, the first of its kind in uncrewed undersea capability for the @USNavy.
More: https://t.co/dRcjwmdYld pic.twitter.com/hWSveoHIZP
— Boeing Defense (@BoeingDefense) August 2, 2023
“With each at-sea testing milestone reached, the Maritime & Intelligence Systems (MI&S) team moves closer to delivering operational XLUUV capability to the U.S. Navy,” said Ann Stevens, vice president of M&IS.
Boeing has developed autonomous undersea vehicles and technology since the 1970s, collaborating with the U.S. Navy and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) on a number of underwater vehicle projects in recent years.
The M&IS team integrates a 34-foot (10.4-meter) payload section and continues at-sea activities with Orca.
