Anduril Opens Factory to Build Unmanned Submarines for Australia
American defense company Anduril Industries has officially opened a production facility for its "Ghost Shark" unmanned submarines, which are being manufactured in quantity for the Royal Australian Navy.
Ghost Shark Overview
Ghost Shark is an Australian variant of Anduril's Dive-XL platform, an all-electric autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) in the extra-large size category, roughly the size of a standard 40-foot container. The Dive-XL platform is modular, allowing different midsection lengths to accommodate various third-party payloads.
Capabilities and Design
- The exact specifications of the Australian naval version remain classified.
- It is designed to be cost-effective, stealthy, and capable of long-range, persistent intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions.
- Uniquely for an unmanned submarine, it is also planned to support strike missions.
Contract and Production Status
In September, the Royal Australian Navy awarded Anduril a US$1.1 billion contract to scale up Ghost Shark production. At that time, three prototypes had been delivered for testing, and the first production model was nearing completion.
The initial low-rate production hull was officially revealed during the factory's opening ceremony, attended by Australia's defense minister and the head of the Royal Australian Navy.
"The Ghost Shark is engineered to provide cost-effective, stealthy, long-range, trusted undersea capability that can conduct persistent and disruptive intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR)."
Author's summary: Anduril’s new factory marks a significant step in producing advanced unmanned submarines, enhancing Australia’s naval capabilities with stealthy, versatile, and mission-capable AUVs.