Ghost Shark

Ghost Shark overview

Ghost Shark is a joint development between Anduril Australia and the Australian defence industrial base, contracted by the Royal Australian Navy for its Extra-Large Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (XLUUV) requirement. At 9 meters in length and with the capability to operate for 30+ days without surfacing, Ghost Shark provides Australia with a long-range underwater autonomous capability that extends its strategic reach far beyond what its relatively small submarine fleet — even when expanded under the AUKUS arrangement — could cover in simultaneous deployments. For an island continent whose maritime approaches cover millions of square kilometers of ocean, the ability to deploy autonomous underwater surveillance vehicles at scale is strategically essential.

Ghost Shark's modular payload architecture allows the same hull to be configured for different mission profiles: ISR with passive acoustic and electromagnetic sensors, mine laying with multiple naval mines in the payload bay, and potentially active strike with lightweight torpedoes for anti-submarine engagements. This versatility reduces the investment required in specialized hulls for each mission type, a critical consideration for a smaller navy that must manage limited procurement budgets across multiple capability requirements simultaneously. The ability to reconfigure Ghost Shark between deployments means a smaller number of hulls can cover a wider range of mission needs.

The AUKUS context — in which Australia, the UK, and U.S. are cooperating on nuclear-powered submarine technology transfer and other advanced defence capabilities — provided significant momentum to the Ghost Shark program. Anduril's U.S. parentage and its existing relationships with the Pentagon and U.S. Navy meant that Ghost Shark development benefited from access to U.S. undersea autonomy research and could be integrated into U.S.-Australian combined maritime operations. Major 2026 program milestones and export coverage signaled that Ghost Shark was on track to become a foundational element of Australia's undersea deterrence strategy and potentially a platform of interest to other AUKUS-adjacent allies.

Armament

Modular: mines, lightweight torpedoes, or advanced ISR/SIGINT payloads

Development and operational timeline

1. Feb 2022Royal Australian Navy issues Ghost Shark requirement; XLUUV specification for 30-day autonomous operation finalized
2. Sep 2022Anduril Australia awarded Ghost Shark contract; development begins with DST Group partnership
3. Apr 2023Ghost Shark hull design finalized; 9-meter form factor with modular payload bay confirmed
4. Nov 2023Component procurement begins; Australian industrial partners supply hull, propulsion, and structural elements
5. Jun 2024Ghost Shark prototype launched at Adelaide facility; begins shallow-water trials
6. Dec 2024Deep-water trials commence; Ghost Shark reaches operational depth and conducts autonomous navigation tests
7. May 2025Payload bay validation; ISR sensor suite, mine payload, and communications systems tested
8. Oct 2025Extended autonomous mission trial; Ghost Shark operates for 28 days without surfacing
9. Jan 2026RAN acceptance trials begin; formal Royal Australian Navy evaluation conducted
10. Jun 2026Major program milestone achieved; Ghost Shark declared ready for production
11. Sep 2026Production contract awarded; international export discussions with allied navies commence