US Navy orders four large UUVs from Boeing

Boeing has been awarded a US$43 million contract for the fabrication, test, and delivery of four Orca Extra Large Unmanned Undersea Vehicles (XLUUVs) and associated support elements for the US Navy.

Each XLUUV will be modular in construction to allow the incorporation of various mission-specific payloads.

Completion of all four units is expected by June 2022.

The Orca will be based on Boeing's 15-metre-long Echo Voyager unmanned submersible (pictured).