Orca program in US Navy

After a 4-year delay, December 2023, The U.S. Navy has received the introduction of Orca XLUUV (eXtra Large Unmanned Undersea Vehicle)'s first combat-free submarine system, implemented by Boeing. Despite initial difficulties and delays, this project is a breakthrough in modern underwater marine technologies.

The introduction of the Orca system to service, which took place in Huntington Beach, California, marks a major step forward in the operational capabilities of the US Navy. These systems, designed to carry out advanced missions in difficult-to-access marine areas, offer new opportunities in the field of reconnaissance, reconnaissance and offensive activities, such as setting mines without directly endangering crew life.

However, achieving this level of technical progress was not without challenges. The delays in the program resulted from the need to adapt to US Navy requirements, which involved redesigning key elements, as well as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the project schedule.

Transfers of deadlines in the program resulted from numerous technical and logistical challenges, including the need to redesign critical components to meet US Navy requirements. The differences between the Navy specifications and the Echo Voyager prototype required significant design modifications.

Ultimately, the US Navy plans to purchase five such systems. The first, which has recently been delivered, is to serve as a test and evolutionary function before other units are included in full service. Each Orca XLUUV system offers the ability to operate autonomously at long distances and depths, making it an extremely valuable complement to the fleet.

Unmanned systems of the Orca XLUUV type, although they represent significant advances in marine technology, will not fully replace traditional manned submarines. They are rather a valuable complement to the operational capacity of the fleet, extending the scope of the mission. It is worth noting that Orca XLUUV is a support for manned units, not their full replacement.

The Russian Federation, the Republic of Korea, the People's Republic of China and France are also working on such vehicles.

Written by Mariusz Dasiewicz