The unmanned underwater swimming vehicle Orca ("Killer Whale"), created as part of the Extra Large Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (XLUUV) program in the interests of the US Navy, will become an underwater minelayer. This is reported by The Drive.
The publication writes that the first tests of the Orca device, which will carry underwater mines, will begin this summer. According to the publication, the module with mine equipment is located between the aft and bow of the drone, allowing you to place up to eight tons of payload.
It is noted that the US military hopes that in the future Orca will be able to almost silently install minefields in hard-to-reach areas of the World Ocean, blocking enemy ports and hindering shipping and maritime trade of the enemies.
In October 2020, Popular Mechanics magazine stated that the new Hammerhead mine of the US Navy would become a "killer" of enemy submarines, including the Poseidon nuclear underwater drone being created in Russia. The publication called XLUUV drones, in particular Orca, a possible carrier of the product.
In February 2019, the magazine wrote that the US Navy had ordered the construction of four Orca drones from Boeing.