Not a day goes by without Defense news dealing with drones today. As the British Defense Minister announces the rapid entry into service of a system drone swarmaircraft, the US Navy has just ordered Boeing to 4 very large autonomous submersibles ORCAeXtra Large Underwater Unmanned Vehicle, an autonomous submarine 15 meters long, propelled by a diesel-electric engine giving it a range of 6500 nautical miles without contact with its parent vessel.
The US Navy wants to experience the ORCA in a wide range of missions, ranging from mine warfare, anti-submarine and anti-ship warfare, as well as intelligence and electronic warfare missions.
Unlike the Russian Status-6 project, the ORCA is not equipped with a miniaturized nuclear reactor, nor is it intended to carry a nuclear payload. However, we can't help but notice the similarities between the two projects
The US Navy is also interested in another model of autonomous submersible, the LDUUV program, (Large Diameter..) implemented from a Virginia SSN, and operating close to it, carrying out similar missions at XLUUV.