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DefDex

System · Undersea

Orca XLUUV

Boeing extra-large unmanned undersea vehicle for U.S. Navy mine laying, derived from Echo Voyager; five vehicles ordered.

by Boeing

PrototypeUnderseaMilestoneJun 11, 2025
Boeing's Orca Extra Large Unmanned Undersea Vehicle on display during a Navy visit

Photo: U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist William Spears · Public domain (PD-USGov-Military-Navy)

Milestones20232025
  1. First deliveryFirst Orca delivered to the U.S. Navy, reported
  2. MilestoneGAO assessment: Orca prototype delays and technology risks, confirmed

Boeing extra-large unmanned undersea vehicle for U.S. Navy mine laying, derived from Echo Voyager; five vehicles ordered.

Timeline2

  1. First deliveryReported

    First Orca delivered to the U.S. Navy

  2. MilestoneConfirmed

    GAO assessment: Orca prototype delays and technology risks

    GAO’s June 2025 assessment describes Orca as a research and development effort. The Navy received a test asset in December 2023 and, as of January 2025, expected five prototypes by the end of 2025. GAO identified fabrication, battery, autonomy and navigation challenges. Procurement costs and quantities for a possible program of record were undetermined; the delivery expectation is not evidence of completed deliveries.

The latest 10 milestones. Solid entries are confirmed, outlined reported, dashed estimated or still to come; dotted italic entries are speculative. Dates show only the precision the sources give.

Operators1

  • USUnited States

Cost to the Government

  • Total acquisition costConfirmed
    $621M
    Then-year $ · 5 units

    GAO-22-105974 (Sep 2022), based on the FY2023 President's Budget: $621M planned to build five XLUUVs incl. a $73M test vehicle; original 2016 estimate $379M (64% growth).

    Source
  • Contract unit priceEstimated
    $10.8M
    4 units

    Feb 2019 Navy contract modification to Boeing: $43M for fabrication, test and delivery of four Orca XLUUVs and support elements; $43,000,000 / 4 = $10.75M per vehicle (division by us). GAO later put the cost of five vehicles at $621M.

    Source

Unit costs and contract unit prices for this system, and budget figures for the programs that buy it. Each figure states its dollar basis and links its source; contract values are under Programs & awards.

Capabilities1