U.K. Navy has just bought what could be the world's biggest underwater drone—and it can be armed

The new vehicle will have a range of around 3,450 miles.

The British Royal Navy has awarded a contract for the production of an autonomous submarine that will effectively be the world's largest underwater drone once constructed.

The Royal Navy drone will be almost double the length of the upcoming Boeing Orca XLUUV—four of which were purchased last year by the U.S. Navy.XLUUVs such as these dwarf most autonomous underwater vehicles , which usually measure less than 15 feet in length. In the case of the Royal Navy's purchase, the huge amount of space saved from not needing crew facilities will be used to carry a substantial quantity of weapons—such as torpedoes and mines—or even smaller AUVs.

The new vehicle will have a range of around 3,450 miles, or 3,000 nautical miles, indicating that it will likely not be powered by batteries alone.

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