Boeing delivers first Orca UUV to US Navy
Boeing has been building five Orcas for the US Navy. (Photo: Boeing)
Boeing’s Orca, a large uncrewed submarine which builds upon the company’s work with Echo Voyager, has been designed to provide long-range autonomous operations.
Boeing has delivered the first Orca Extra Large Uncrewed Undersea Vehicle (XLUUV) to the US Navy (USN) following completion of testing earlier this month.
Orca has been described by its manufacturer as a new class of autonomous submarine that can perform long duration critical missions and support naval forces.
Boeing began work on Orca when it started development of Echo Voyager as a proof-of-concept XLUUV and testing of the system began in 2017. Boeing has been building five Orcas for the USN in partnership with Huntington Ingalls Industries.
Related Articles
US Navy’s Orca programme concludes design reviews
Boeing continues DARPA Hunter XLUUV work
Boeing completes Orca large UUV trials and moves to next stage
Echo Voyager, described by Boeing as ‘the world’s only vehicle of its size and capability’, has spent more than 10,000 hours operating at sea, during which time it has transited hundreds of nautical miles autonomously.
Boeing Maritime and Intelligence Systems vice-president Ann Stevens said: ‘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.’
In August 2023 Boeing announced it had completed the integration of a 10.4m payload section of its Orca built under a DARPA contract and was preparing to go back out to sea for further trials with the payload section. The integrated version is approximately 26m long and weighs more than 73,000kg.
In July 2022, Boeing received an US$8.51 million contract modification from DARPA for Option 3 of the Hunter Phase 2 programme taking the total cumulative face value of the contract to $36.8 million.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
![France’s naval modernisation drives opportunities for European defence industry]()
France’s naval modernisation drives opportunities for European defence industry
Ahead of Euronaval 2026, major submarine, frigate and aircraft carrier programmes are driving investment, while future corvette replacements and growing interest in uncrewed vessels offer further opportunities for industry into the 2030s and beyond.
-
![Canada assesses security equipment changes for Polar Icebreaker Imnaryuaq]()
Canada assesses security equipment changes for Polar Icebreaker Imnaryuaq
The Canadian Department of National Defence is evaluating communications and reconnaissance changes for CCGS Imnaryuaq’s expanded maritime security role, while retaining its 2032 acceptance target.
-
![All eyes on Royal Navy’s Type 93 market engagement as industry prepares bids]()
All eyes on Royal Navy’s Type 93 market engagement as industry prepares bids
Responses are due by 29 October as the Royal Navy tests the market, with BAE Systems’ Herne and MSubs’ Excalibur setting up a contest where payloads may decide the winner.
-
![US Navy’s MQ-25 Stingray approaches carrier-integration tests]()
US Navy’s MQ-25 Stingray approaches carrier-integration tests
Boeing has outlined its upcoming precision-landing and carrier-airspace trials as MQ-25 manufacturing shifts towards Illinois, with initial Lot 1 deliveries expected in 2029.
