Boeing will build four robotic submarines for the US Navy. These large, unmanned underwater craft, as Boeing calls them, each have a length of 15.5m and are being built jointly with Huntington Ingalls Industries.
With their own autonomous navigation systems and a fuel module for 6,500 nautical miles (12,038 km), the vessels can operate fully autonomously.
Unmanned submersibles have been deployed for quite some time and are increasingly seen in naval operations as well as civilian shipping. Until now, these vessels were mostly modest in size. Moreover, deployment was limited in time and often tied to a 'host vessel'. Really deep and long-term underwater operations were therefore reserved for the large, manned submarines. With the Orcas, the US Navy underlines the growing importance of robotic submarines for the naval fleet.
The Orca is diesel-electric powered and can be used for a variety of counter-actions including mine clearance, concrete warfare operations and various other applications. The submarine has an open architecture, is modular in design and has a 10.4 m long cargo area and a volume of 56.6 m³.
Unlike many other unmanned craft, the Orca can operate completely autonomously and therefore does not need another ship to be launched, picked up or as support. Guidance and control, navigation, environmental recording, communications, power supply, propulsion, performing manoeuvres and sensor systems - all can be performed autonomously by the vessel. This allows the Orca to remain underwater for months if necessary .
