Tech start-ups, innovators and academics are being offered the chance to showcase and test their novel sensor and payload technology on the Royal Navy’s first extra large unmanned underwater vehicle (XLUUV).

Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS), presented the results of a pioneering research project on the feasibility, usability, construction and operation of large modular underwater vehicles.

The first extra-large autonomous test submarine will be developed for the Royal Navy following a new contract by the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA). An initial £1 million contract has been awarded to Plymouth-based MSubs Ltd to build a test submarine that will be used to explore the potential capabilities of larger uncrewed underwater vehicles in the future.

The UK MoD’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) on April 16 launched a competition aiming at « developing the Royal Navy’s autonomous underwater capability » by studying he utility and operational boundaries of Extra-Large Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (XLUUVs).

Boeing won a $43 million contract for the fabrication, test, and delivery of four Orca Extra Large Unmanned Undersea Vehicles (XLUUVs) and associated support elements.

Naval News learned that Boeing recently submitted its proposal for Phase II of the U.S. Navy's Orca competition. We learned the information during the Surface Navy Association's (SNA) 2019 National Symposium held last week in Washington DC