Boeing secures $274M Navy contract to create ‘Orca’ unmanned submarines
Apr 30, 2019, 5:09 AM
The air has its share unmanned aircraft, and we’re beginning to see autonomous vehicles on roads, so it was only a matter of time before the U.S. Naval fleet got a few of its own.
Boeing recently secured Navy contracts at a combined $274.4 million value to develop five undersea drones. Called “Orcas,” the unmanned submarines would stealthily drop explosives, navigate mine-riddled waters to gather intelligence, and sink ships at long ranges, reports The Seattle Times.
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According to USNI News, the drone could also be used for “mine countermeasures, anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, electronic warfare and strike missions.”
The Orca is intended to be an upgrade of the Echo Voyager demonstration sub, a diesel electric submarine which has a range of 6,500 nautical miles and can run autonomously for several months at a time.
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Such submarines are meant to perform tasks either too dangerous or expensive for manned subs. While aerial drones have existed for years, undersea versions have greater difficulty due to communication issues, as well as numerous other technological challenges involved in operating at deep depths.
The drones are expected to be completed by 2022.
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