US-based defence technology company Anduril Industries has completed construction of the first example of the Ghost Shark extra large autonomous underwater vehicle (XLAUV) ordered by the Australian Department of Defence (DOD).
The XLAUV is the first of three that will be built under an initial AU$140 million (US$90 million) co-development contract between the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), the DOD's Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG), and Anduril.
Detailed specifications of Ghost Shark and its possible sensor options have not been disclosed to the public. However, the DOD said the XLAUV will provide the RAN with a stealthy, long-range autonomous undersea warfare capability. Missions will include persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and strike.
The craft can operate for up to 10 days at depths as low as 6,000 metres (20,000 feet), thus giving it a deep-diving capability not possible with many diesel-electric submarines currently in operation.
Ghost Shark is designed to support subsea maritime missions globally. The XLAUV has a modular, multi-purpose capability that can adapt to mission requirements. Anduril said that with advanced, scalable manufacturing techniques that enable rapid iteration based on specific customer needs, Ghost Shark will permit the introduction of greater numbers of readily available autonomous platforms without any significant increase in cost.
Anduril Australia will work in partnership with ten other Australian companies for the local manufacture of future examples of the XLAUV.
Ghost Shark will form part of the Australian Government’s investment of up to AU$7.2 billion (US$4.6 billion) for the development and acquisition of subsea warfare capabilities and new autonomous and uncrewed maritime vehicles. The government is spending more than AU$10 billion (US$6 billion) on autonomous and uncrewed systems, including armed systems, as part of a comprehensive plan to provide the Australian Defence Force with capabilities it needs to meet strategic circumstances.
To accelerate production readiness of Ghost Shark, the DOD and Anduril Australia have entered into a co-funded Early Works Contract. A DOD investment of AU$20.1 million (US$12.9 million) will be significantly exceeded by Anduril Australia as it invests in hiring, scaling the sovereign supply chain, and building infrastructure to transition the Ghost Shark program from prototype to production that, subject to further government approval, will see the first production variant available by the end of 2025.
The more than AU$180 million (US$) program has been jointly funded by the government and Anduril Australia.
The prototype XLAUV has undergone testing in both the United States and Australia. While in the US, the craft was made available for collaboration with US government partners.
Detailed specifications of Ghost Shark and its capabilities have not been publicly released by the Australian government.
| Ghost Shark | |
| SPECIFICATIONS | |
| Type of vessel: | AUV – Naval |
| Owner: | Royal Australian Navy |
| Builders: | Anduril Industries, USA; Anduril Australia |