The extra-large unmanned underwater vehicle (XLUUV) segment is emerging as the fastest-growing sector of the defense undersea drone market. Navies worldwide are scrambling to turn research and prototyping efforts into competitive operational systems. While most programs remain in the development stage, the race to put systems into production and bolster maritime defense applications is on.
While there is no universal classification for XLUUVs, they are generally large enough to require pierside launching, often resembling the size and displacement of crewed submarines.
U.S. and Allied Programs
The U.S. continues to lead in maturing XLUUV technologies with the Boeing Orca XLUUV. The U.S. Navy awarded initial contract funding in 2017 to develop an XLUUV asset. After a series of setbacks, the Navy has received at least two of six Orca prototypes. The 85-foot-long, hybrid-electric vessel, capable of diving to 11,000 feet, was originally designed for clandestine mining but may also deploy future autonomous systems.
Anduril, a U.S. defense manufacturer, debuted a potential Orca competitor in coordination with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) in April of last year. With at least one Ghost Shark extra-large autonomous undersea vehicle (XL-AUV) completed, Anduril was contracted in 2022 to build at least two more for Australia by the end of 2025. In August, Anduril announced plans to build a manufacturing factory in Australia to produce Ghost Sharks in “large numbers” for potential export.
Canada’s Cellula Robotics began sea trials for its Solus-XR XLUUV in late 2024. The 11-meter XLUUV uses hydrogen fuel cells to afford a 5,000 km range.
European Progress
In the U.K., BAE Systems’ Herne XLAUV is moving toward deployment. At the end of last year, allied naval officers gathered in England to observe the demonstrator. BAE is partnered with Cellula Robotics with a plan to adapt its fuel cell technology for Herne. The U.K. aims to use Herne as an autonomous intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) platform in the North Sea within 18 months.
France’s Naval Group secured a demonstrator contract in January 2024 to build a ten-meter-long Uncrewed Combat Underwater Vehicle (UCUV). In July, Thales was added to the project to test its passive hull-mounted sonar onboard the UCUV for autonomous navigation.
Germany’s ThyssenKrupp is slated to complete work on phase two of a Modifiable Underwater Mothership (MUM) demonstrator project this year. The vessel is planned to rival and potentially exceed Boeing’s Orca XLUUV in size. Though primarily a commercial venture, the program could inform undersea military applications.
Advances in Asia
In late 2024, reports indicated that India’s Ministry of Defence planned to field 100-ton ISR and strike-capable XLUUVs with support from industry partners. India could procure a dozen units over the next several years.
China’s XLUUV projects remain secretive, but reports suggest at least five designs in development as of early 2023. At a Malaysian defense show in May 2024, Poly Technology exhibited models of a drone submarine series, UUV-300, capable of launching torpedoes and other unmanned systems.
Addressing China’s growing capability, Taiwan released images of a torpedo-equipped 100-foot unmanned submarine prototype named Huilong in October 2024. The XLUUV design resembles a crewed submarine, possibly serving as a test bed for manned-unmanned teaming operations.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries debuted a 10-meter XLUUV prototype in 2023. An arm of Japan’s defense ministry is exploring different propulsion options for the experimental vessel to extend endurance.
Beyond these efforts, South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean and Israel’s IAI are also developing XLUUVs. As undersea warfare becomes an increasingly operationalized domain with events in the Red Sea, the Black Sea, and underwater cable cuts in the Baltic Sea in recent months, the XLUUV arms race is intensifying as navies vie for access to cost-effective and mission-ready solutions.
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