Ghost Shark
About
About Ghost Shark
Ghost Shark is an extra-large autonomous undersea vehicle developed by Anduril Australia with the Australian Defence Science and Technology Group and Royal Australian Navy. Its large hull provides volume for energy storage, sensors and modular mission payloads, supporting long-duration operation at extended range without an onboard crew.
Anduril’s autonomy software manages navigation, vehicle behaviour and mission execution under intermittent communications. The platform is being developed for intelligence, surveillance, undersea sensing and other defence missions. Australia moved the programme from prototype development into a production pathway, with Anduril establishing local manufacturing capability for continuing delivery.
Capabilities
Source-backed capabilities
- Capability areas: Autonomous navigation
- Workflows: Marine data collection
- Operating environments: Defence operational environment
- Target markets: Defence customers including the Royal Australian Navy for AUV capability.
- Deployment model: Active defence procurement program from prototype to production fleet.
- Autonomous undersea missions
Pilot - Anduril documents three Ghost Shark prototypes delivered after joint Navy testing and a fleet program entering production; this establishes a customer-backed development program, not operational deployment.
Source - Extended sea endurance
Pilot - Anduril documents three Ghost Shark prototypes delivered after joint Navy testing and a fleet program entering production; this establishes a customer-backed development program, not operational deployment.
Source
Operations
- Production Setup
first Ghost Shark vehicle off the line - 2025-10-31 - Sydney Ghost Shark factory - autonomous underwater vehicle production - Anduril opened the Ghost Shark factory in Sydney and completed the first vehicle off the line.
Source
Timeline
- DIU and U.S. Navy select Anduril for XL-AUV program
2026-03-12 - Award - The Defense Innovation Unit and U.S. Navy selected Anduril for the Combat Autonomous Maritime Platform project. The company said the win followed the longest XL-AUV demonstration conducted to date. The award advanced Anduril's U.S. extra-large autonomous undersea vehicle work beyond Australian Ghost Shark production.
Source - Ghost Shark factory opens in Sydney with first vehicle off the line
2025-10-31 - Production Milestone - Anduril announced the Sydney Ghost Shark factory had opened and the first vehicle had come off the line ahead of schedule. The opening followed completion of the co-development contract and the program-of-record award. The event marked a tangible production milestone for fleet-scale undersea manufacturing.
Source - Ghost Shark enters program of record
2025-09-09 - Award - Anduril said the Royal Australian Navy had awarded Anduril Australia an A$1.7 billion program of record to deliver a fleet of Ghost Shark XL-AUVs. The company framed the milestone as moving from prototype to fleet in roughly three years. The award converted Ghost Shark from rapid-development project into formal production program.
Source - Anduril Australia to build Ghost Shark factory
2024-08-14 - Facility Opening - Anduril Australia announced construction of its first factory for Ghost Shark extra-large autonomous undersea vehicles. The program was described as worth more than A$180 million and jointly funded by the Commonwealth and Anduril Australia. The facility marked a manufacturing transition for Ghost Shark rather than a one-off prototype effort.
Source
Context
Market context
Ghost Shark is Anduril Australia extra-large autonomous undersea vehicle program for the Royal Australian Navy.
- Target environment: Subsea defence operational environments including contested underwater areas.
- Workflow context: Autonomous undersea operations, subsea defence and maritime security for naval operations.
- Customer context: Defence customers including the Royal Australian Navy for AUV capability.
- Deployment model: Active defence procurement program from prototype to production fleet.
- Commercial maturity: Active defence AUV program transitioning from prototype into a program of record.
- Adoption constraints: Defence procurement cycles and naval integration requirements.
- Market position: Anduril Australia XL-AUV program moving from prototype to production for the Royal Australian Navy.
- Adjacent products: Dive-XL, Dive-LD, defence AUVs