Australia is set to deploy the ‘Ghost Shark’, an AI-powered underwater drone designed for stealth and long-range missions.
In a move that signals a dramatic shift in naval strategy, Australia has officially unveiled the “Ghost Shark“, an extra-large autonomous underwater vehicle (XL-AUV) set to become a cornerstone of the Royal Australian Navy’s future fleet.
The announcement, which includes a fast-tracked, multi-billion-dollar investment, positions Australia at the forefront of uncrewed military technology and sends a clear message about its commitment to regional security.
Developed by Anduril Australia in a rapid partnership with the Australian Department of Defence, the Ghost Shark is not a conventional submarine but rather a stealthy, AI-powered drone. Designed to operate at extreme depths for long periods, this unmanned submersible is engineered for a range of missions, from persistent intelligence gathering and surveillance to long-range strike operations.
Its development has been so successful that the programme is reportedly a year ahead of schedule, with the first of “dozens” of these vehicles expected to enter service as early as January 2026.
A New Kind of Naval Power
The Ghost Shark represents a new chapter in naval warfare. Unlike crewed submarines, which are expensive, slow to build, and risk human lives, the Ghost Shark is a cost-effective, mass-producible platform.
This allows the Australian military to field a “cost-effective, long-range, and disruptive” force that can operate alongside its future nuclear-powered submarines, acquired through the AUKUS security pact.
The Australian government has been deliberately coy about the specific number of drones being acquired and their precise capabilities, but Defence Minister Richard Marles has stated that they will have a “very long range” and be capable of “engaging in intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and strike” at “extremely long distances from the Australian continent.” This capability is seen as a critical deterrent in an increasingly complex Indo-Pacific security environment.
Geopolitical Ripples in the Pacific
The Ghost Shark’s accelerated development and deployment come at a time of heightened military activity in the region, particularly from China, which has been rapidly expanding its own fleet of unmanned underwater vehicles.
The Australian government’s investment is being framed not as a contingency, but as a complementary and fundamentally critical capability to its existing and future fleets.
By backing a sovereign, domestically built technology, Australia is not only bolstering its own defences but also carving out a role as a leader in autonomous undersea warfare.
With the first Ghost Sharks set to patrol the Indo-Pacific in the coming months, the programme has cemented Australia’s place as a key player in the next generation of global naval power.
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