Boeing building robot subs for US Navy

WASHINGTON — Boeing has been awarded a US$43 million contract by the U.S. Navy to build unmanned robot submarines, according to the US Department of Defense.

The company will build four Orca Extra Large Unmanned Undersea Vehicles. According to U.S. Naval Institute News, the submarine will measure 51-feet in length. The vehicle will be capable of sailing up to 6,500 nautical miles. Its design is based on Boeing's Echo Voyager unmanned submarine.

The vehicle will include payload bay measuring 34-feet in width. This will have a volume of 2,000 cubic feet, New Atlas reports. The diesel-electric Orca will have depth sensors and an inertial navigation system, according to Popular Mechanics.

The submersible is expected to be autonomous and could remain submerged for months.