US Navy’s Largest Uncrewed Submarine Can Travel 6,500 Nautical Miles Without a Support Ship
The vessel is designed to fulfill an operational requirement for the Pacific Theater and is counted among the largest unmanned underwater systems operated by the U.S. Navy.
The U.S. Navy’s Orca Extra Large Uncrewed Undersea Vehicle (XLUUV) completed a voyage spanning more than 1,000 nautical miles in the eastern Pacific, the first time that such a distance has been covered by an XLUUV-class system.
It was organised and conducted in cooperation with the Program Executive Office for Unmanned Small Combatants team. A Navy statement revealed that the feat was accomplished in July, though officials did not disclose the exact route taken by the drone submarine or the launch date.
The voyage built upon trials conducted in the past two years, including a 2-day mission in 2024, which added to the operational experience with the XLUUV platform.
The vessel is designed to fulfill an operational requirement for the Pacific Theater and is counted among the largest unmanned underwater systems operated by the U.S. Navy.
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