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The United States Navy (US Navy) plans to receive new autonomous submarines extra big Boeing Orca this year. Rapid progress in vehicle testing under the Orca Extra Large Uncrewed Undersea Vehicle (XLUUV) project made this possibility possible.
The naval branch of the US Armed Forces acquired a total of 6 Orca UUVs, 5 of them as prototypes and the rest as training units. The operation was tied into two contracts worth a total of $281 million. The first of the prototypes, which are known to have already been built, is scheduled to be delivered to the Navy in the coming months, with the remainder scheduled for delivery at the end of the year.
It is important to note that there were some setbacks in the construction related to the use of titanium in the helmets and the difficulties in processing the material for the manufacturing process. However, Unmanned Underwater Vehicle Squadron One (UUVRON-1) is already working on developing tactics, techniques and procedures for the Orca.
During the Surface Navy Association National Symposium, Program Director Scot Searles stated: “He still has 15 to 16 more tests to go. Hence 16 probationary periods and each has its own path.”. Likewise, assessments of the submarine’s systems and its autonomous capabilities have already been carried out; Testing of its sensors and ability to avoid obstacles remained.
The Orca is an extra-large, 26 meter long unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV). It has a displacement of approximately 85 tons and features a diesel-electric propulsion system that allows a range of 6,000 nautical miles. It features a modular payload bay of 0.86 meters and a capacity of 8 tons. Its maximum speed is 8 knots and its capabilities focus on surveillance, underwater, surface and electronic warfare, and mine clearance.
At the end of last year Boeing delivers the first extra-large Orca submarine to the US Navy, which was acquired in 2019 with a $43 million contract for construction. Its importance lies in the possibility of being used for months in operationally disputed terrain without human intervention.
In connection with the Unmanned Maritime Systems program, Austal recently launched the Overlord-class autonomous unmanned vessel.vanguard“, the first unmanned land vehicle in this program built specifically for autonomous operations. Its current destination is the United States Navy’s Unmanned Surface Vessel Division ONE (USVDIV-1) to complete equipment and navigation, systems and acceptance testing.
Contains images of: Boeing y US Navy Program Office
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