Underwater Unmanned Motherships Expected in Future Naval Warfare

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The United States Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington has recently announced plans to enhance Unmanned Underwater Vehicle systems that have been previously developed under the Extra Large Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (XLUUV) program.

Back in September 2017, Lockheed Martin and Boeing have been awarded a $43.2 million contract and a $42.3 million contract, respectively, to design the Orca XLUUV. 

Last February, the Navy has ordered four Orca UUVs from Boeing. Now the Navy wants Lockheed Martin to continue developing technologies that will help enable future UUV systems based on the firm’s work on the XLUUV. These technologies include machine autonomy, payload deployment, and underwater navigation systems. 

The Orca XLUUV will be a reconfigurable UUV with an open architecture design. The base vehicle will be capable of guidance and control, autonomy, situational awareness, navigation, power distribution, maneuvering, and mission relevant sensors.

The UUV will be able to switch payloads as future technologies develop, keeping the unmanned submarine relevant for future operations. The sub will have a modular payload bay, with the possibility of carrying smaller UUVs as payloads.

The XLUUVs are intended to be used for long term surveillance missions or as undersea cargo vessels delivering sensors and smaller UUVs. The eventual goal of the giant UUV is to be operated as a underwater mothership for smaller UUVs and special operations.

As part of the Orca project, engineers are also working to develop a payload delivery system that can assist with delivering gear such as weapons, sensors, and UAVs, past enemy lines.

Some other projects Boeing and Lockheed Martin were involved in included the Blue Wolf project, which focused on underwater propulsion and technologies which reduce drag. The effort was so that undersea vehicles would be able to move faster and quieter underwater.

Militaryaerospace.com also mentioned that Lockheed Martin has also been working with the United States military on designing an affordable mini submarine to transport Navy SEALS underwater to their mission.

It is likely to believe that Lockheed Martin and Boeing will incorporate their past research into the expected Orca XLUUVs.