Anduril Australia is building its first Australian manufacturing facility for Ghost Shark extra-large autonomous undersea vehicles (XL-AUV).
The factory will produce large numbers of Ghost Sharks for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and its allies in the Asia Pacific, as well as the commercial Dive-XL variant.
Anduril’s AUVs are designed to be produced at-scale by incorporating a modular design. With advanced, scalable manufacturing techniques that enable rapid iteration based on specific user needs, Ghost Shark aims to deliver a shift in maritime deterrence through affordable, autonomous mass.
Ghost Shark will provide the Navy with a cost-effective, stealthy, long-range undersea capability capable of conducting persistent and disruptive intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), and strike missions.
To accelerate production readiness of Ghost Shark, Defence and Anduril Australia have entered into a co-funded Early Works Contract. Anduril Australia will invest in hiring, scaling the sovereign supply chain and building infrastructure to transition the Ghost Shark program from prototype to production.
Subject to further government approval, the first Ghost Shark production variant will be available by the end of 2025.
Ghost Shark Debuts in the U.S.
Ghost Shark has now arrived in the United States for the first time. With the first Ghost Shark currently in Australia, this milestone will expand the test envelope for the AUV by enabling concurrent testing on both sides of the Pacific, and will be available for collaboration with U.S. government partners.
This Ghost Shark arrived in the United States via trans-pacific flight by a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) C-17A, showcasing its rapid and agile expeditionary capabilities.
The vehicle was transported to coincide with Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC), one of the world’s largest maritime exercises held near the Hawaiian Islands to ensure the safety of sea lanes and security on the world’s oceans.
Recently, Anduril Australia unveiled the first Ghost Shark prototype a year ahead of schedule and on budget.
Early production and testing has reportedly been crucial for rapid learning and iteration, enabling Anduril to deliver an operationally relevant capability at the speed required to defeat and deter the emergent threats. The company is leveraging technology from its proprietary AUV capability and its Lattice AI-powered software platform to develop Ghost Shark.
The Ghost Shark is a collaboration between the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG), Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator (ASCA), and Anduril Australia.
Minister for Defence Industry, Pat Conroy, commented, “The first prototype was delivered one year early and on budget, and all three will be delivered by June 2025. So, from conception to full realization, less than three years.”
Chief Defence Scientist, Professor Tanya Monro AC, stated, “Ghost Shark has been specifically designed for manufacturability, mass production and flexibility to create supply chain resilience.”
The Head of ASCA, Professor Emily Hilder, added, “Ghost Shark is a powerful example of how ASCA can help accelerate capability to our warfighters, bringing together parts of the Defence enterprise as well as Anduril Australia, to help deliver an asymmetric advantage.”
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