Australia plans to add Ghost Shark sub-drone to fleet

Anduril, an American defense company that builds sophisticated autonomous systems, said Australia will soon acquire the prototype sub-drone Ghost Shark.

However, the company provided limited technical information during the unveiling of an underwater drone prototype in Australia on April 13.

The company representatives highlighted a significant aspect of the project: the U.S. Navy would not have been able to acquire the drone as quickly and within the allocated budget.

Christian Brose, the Chief Strategy Officer at Anduril, asserted that Ghost Shark could be produced more efficiently and cost-effectively in Australia, as there were no viable prospects for achieving the same in the U.S.

Anduril officials did not clearly define the Ghost Shark UUV's dimensions or possible operational objectives.

In May 2022, they announced they had agreed with the Royal Australian Navy and Defense Science and Technology Group to develop prototypes within the next three years and have a vehicle ready for production by mid-2025.

Autonomous submarine drones are believed to have the potential to discourage China, a country with a more significant number of warships and missiles in the Western Pacific than the US, from launching an invasion of Taiwan.

Ghost Shark is not formally included in AUKUS, the trilateral agreement between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia to construct crewed submarines collectively and cooperate on innovative technologies.

The Ghost Shark program was initiated in mid-2022, and a finalized version will be made accessible by the conclusion of 2025.

Anduril, established in 2017 by inventor Palmer Luckey and investors and founders associated with Palantir and SpaceX, focuses on advanced autonomous systems. The company's primary clients are governments, including the U.K., the U.S. and Australia.

Source: Newsroom