U.S. Navy takes the helm with Orca drone: New era in military rivalry surfaces
The importance of unmanned military solutions has been a topic of discussion for some time. Notably, the Ukrainians effectively use combat drones. But there are many more solutions popping up in various units, including the navy. A case in point is the latest Orca drone that has successfully aced all tests and landed in the grasp of the U.S. Navy.
7:18 PM EST, December 25, 2023
The Americans intend to adopt a variety of combat drones that will partner with manned ships and aircraft. They have numerous plans in place, such as winged drones (Loyal-Wingman) to accompany F/A-XX fighters or XLUUV type underwater drones. These innovative solutions aim to increase the combat advantage over their most potent rivals: Russia and China.
The Orca drone is set to boost American forces' advantage
The Extra Large Uncrewed Undersea Vehicle (XLUUV) or Orca will pave the way for new underwater missions. Boeing, under whose supervision the state-of-the-art uncrewed submarine was designed and built, equipped it with advanced autonomous systems. Having a multi-purpose usage which include reconnaissance, patrolling, mining, and attacking surface and underwater targets, it requires minimal human supervision and maintenance.
Boeing used their existing submarine models, Echo Seeker and Echo Ranger, as the basis for constructing the Orca. These models provided tested solutions that were eventually incorporated into the new drone. The Orca measures 85 feet in length and can travel up to 7456 miles at a maximum speed of 9.2 mph. Despite a lengthy and expensive construction phase (misjudged by over 240 million dollars), the U.S. Navy sees its potential and believes it could revolutionize their combat strategies. Hence, the Orca is likely to be just the beginning of such projects by the American military.
