Are underwater drones becoming a new frontier of naval warfare?
Core argument: Boeing is set to deliver five Orca extra-large uncrewed undersea vehicles to the U.S. Navy by the end of next year, with the up-to-85-foot craft able to travel almost 7,500 miles with little human intervention.
The new underwater drones can typically dive thousands of feet below the surface and operate largely without human interaction for days on end. That ability makes them ideally suited to gather intelligence, protect undersea infrastructure and counter potential threats in the Pacific, advocates say. Boeing is set to deliver five of its Orca extra-large uncrewed undersea vehicles to the U.S. Navy by the end of next year. Up to 85 feet long, the Orca can travel the equivalent of almost 7,500 miles with little human intervention. Australia is working with defense startup Anduril on an underwater drone called Ghost Shark. The project is part of a $4.65 billion investment the country is making in subsea warfare capabilities and new autonomous and uncrewed maritime vehicles.


