US Navy’s Giant ‘Orca’ Underwater Drone Is Running Years Late

Boeing Co.is expected to deliver Orca --an underwater drone the size of a subway car that’s envisioned to lay mines and perform other missions for the US Navy -- as much as three years later than planned.

As the Navy works to incorporate pilotless ships in its future fleet, budget documents show the first of five operational Orca drones may be delivered in September 2023, rather than December 2020, “due to contractor challenges and supplier issues.”

Boeing beat out aerospace rival Lockheed Martin Corp. for the project in February 2019. Boeing’s $274 million fixed-price contract requires the company to ...