Boeing Orca XLUUV

Boeing Orca is the US Navy's diesel-electric extra-large uncrewed undersea vehicle, developed for mine warfare and modular undersea missions.

Overview

Orca is an Extra Large Unmanned Undersea Vehicle, or XLUUV, built for the US Navy by Boeing with Huntington Ingalls participation. The Navy began the prototype effort in fiscal year 2017 to address an emerging requirement for undersea mine laying, according to GAO's 2026 assessment. Its modular configuration supports a broader mission set that includes intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, seabed warfare, and expeditionary support.

The vehicle carries a separate payload module. Naval News describes a 26 m platform with a mission bay just over 10 m long and pier-side launch and recovery. Launch and recovery therefore do not require a dedicated second ship.

Orca remains a development program with delivered test and prototype vehicles. The Navy accepted the XLE0 test asset in December 2023; subsequent milestones included prototype deliveries and a Pacific transit. Those events establish progress in vehicle testing. Operational fielding remains a separate milestone in GAO's program assessment.

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