Aerospace and defense company L3 Technologies announced it has joined Boeing’s team to design next-generation communications, mission planning, autonomy, navigation, cybersecurity and anti-tamper capabilities for the US Navy’s Extra Large Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (XLUV).
L3 said it is integrating these capabilities throughout the vehicle and system, which includes a fixed ashore command center, a mobile command center and forward operating base support systems.
“As part of the Boeing team, L3 is committed to meeting the US Navy’s urgent operational need with advanced capabilities,” said Christopher E. Kubasik, L3’s President and Chief Operating Officer. “This contract demonstrates our ability to integrate a range of unmanned undersea sensors and systems from across the company and accelerate our undersea growth strategy.”
The US Navy’s XLUUV is envisioned as a modular, open architecture (OA), reconfigurable Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (UUV).
The long-range UUV is to have a reconfigurable payload bay allowing it to perform a variety of missions.
Boeing and Lockheed Martin will compete with their designs to be downselected for the construction of up to five of the independently-operating vehicles.