Boeing's newest unmanned undersea vehicle (UUV) is a real beast. The Echo Voyager is 51-feet long, making it the largest in the fleet of autonomous submarines built by the defense contractor. It's also designed to allow up to six months of power before it needs to surface again.
Boeing is labelling the sub a "game changer," given that its both bigger than its previous UUVs (the 32-foot Echo Seeker and 18-foot Echo Ranger) and its long-lasting power capabilities, capable of surviving for months instead of days. A payload bay allows Boeing's UUV to deploy any number of instruments, large and small, to study undersea conditions. (Or under lakes, depending on the customer.)
The company sees the vehicle as multi-purpose, whether for use by the Pentagon, oil companies, or scientists. Initial trials for the sub begin this summer.
Dominating the skies, and now trying for the same under the sea, Boeing is being proactive. I like it.
Wonder if this can go near the mouth of a harbor, leave a mine or torpedo that has the ability to sit and wait for years until activated.
ReplyDeleteI'm not saying that it can, but you know it can.
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