According to the latest report of Newsweek**, Boeing recently announced a major military technology breakthrough, that is, it has successfully delivered the first "Orca" ultra-large unmanned underwater vehicle (XLUUV) to the US Navy. This news caused widespread concern in military circles and marked a major leap forward in underwater combat capabilities.
Named the Killer Whale, the XLUV weighs 80 tonnes and its powerful performance was validated in the final rounds of testing earlier this month. This is not only a major achievement of Boeing in the field of maritime military technology, but also an important part of the strategic deployment of the US Navy. Back in 2019, the Pentagon ordered 5 "killer whales", and last year the first tests of the submarine took place in Huntington Beach, California.
The "killer whale" is designed to perform a variety of missions, including underwater surveillance, mine clearance, and electronic warfare, among others. It is worth noting that the Navy also plans to integrate various ** systems, such as cruise missiles, torpedoes and aerial drones, into the XLUV, which will further enhance its tactical flexibility and strike capabilities.
Ann Stevens, Boeing's vice president of maritime and intelligence systems, commented: "This is the culmination of more than 10 years of pioneering work by our team. We have developed a large-payload, long-range, fully autonomous underwater vehicle capable of operating completely independently of the main vehicle. This high degree of autonomy and integration gives the Killer Whale a significant strategic advantage in future naval battles.
From the point of view of military bloggers, the delivery of the "Killer Whale" not only reflects the leadership of the US Navy in unmanned underwater vehicle technology, but also heralds a change in the shape of future naval warfare. The use of unmanned underwater vehicles will greatly reduce the risk to personnel while increasing combat effectiveness and sustainability. In addition, by carrying a variety of systems, the "killer whale" has the ability to perform a range of high-risk missions, including infiltrating adversary offshore waters or harbors for reconnaissance and attack operations.
However, this has also sparked some discussion about the ethics and strategic stability of unmanned systems. With the development and application of unmanned underwater vehicle technology, countries must carefully consider how to maintain international security and strategic balance while pursuing military superiority.
In general, Boeing's delivery of the "Killer Whale" ultra-large unmanned underwater vehicle marks an important milestone in marine military technology. This innovation will not only reshape the future landscape of naval warfare, but will also have a profound impact on global military strategy. As more Orca enters service, we can foresee that unmanned underwater vehicles will play an increasingly important role in future maritime conflicts.