Orca - Boeing delivers first fully autonomous submarine to the US Navy
Just before Christmas, the US Navy is giving itself a present. According to Boeing, it has delivered the first of a total of five Orca submarines. This is a so-called Extra Large Uncrewed Undersea Vehicle (XLUUV), which represents a new class in the U.S. Navy's arsenal.
The unmanned submarine is designed to be on the move for long periods of time while performing important tasks in military operations. According to the manufacturer, it is intended to "achieve a dominant position in changing environments and contested waters."
Meanwhile, the trade magazine "The Warzone" goes into more detail. According to the magazine, an Orca weighs 80 tons and is around 25 meters long. Underwater, the submarine looks like a black pill; on the surface, it can raise its mast, allowing it to establish a connection to satellites, for example.
Armament planned
The underwater vehicle has a cargo hold of around ten meters in length, which can accommodate freight weighing up to eight tons. The structure is modular so that the submarine can be adapted for different missions.
"The Warzone" reports that the planned missions could include, for example, deploying or clearing mines, electronic warfare, monitoring larger areas or mapping the seabed. The manufacturer only describes the possible duration of the missions as "months long".
The arming of the drones is already planned, it says. The Navy has expressed interest in equipping the Orcas with torpedoes, cruise missiles or unmanned aerial vehicles, such as combat drones.
Not only the USA is building autonomous submarines
As the war in Ukraine has already shown, military conflicts are increasingly being fought with unmanned drones. At sea, according to "The Warzone", this development could completely change the battlefield in the future. Other nations, such as China, are also working on submarines like the Orca.
Source: Boeing, "The Warzone "
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The US Navy is considering arming the Orcas with torpedoes, cruise missiles, or even combat drones, expanding their capabilities beyond just unmanned operations. This trend towards using drones in military conflicts is not limited to the USA, as other nations like China are also developing submarines similar to the Orca. Despite the Christmas delivery of the first Orca submarine, the world ocean remains a vast and potentially contested territory for military operations.
Source: www.stern.de
