Ghost Shark and other drones get teeth

The government will this week mark a major milestone in the development and testing of advanced undersea warfare capabilities for the Australian Defence Force at Maritime Big Play Pacific – an AUKUS Pillar II exercise – in San Diego.

CAPTION: CEO of Anduril David Goodrich, Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Matthew Buckley, Chief Defence Scientist Tanya Monro and Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy view a Ghost Shark’s payload bay at Anduril’s factory in Sydney, New South Wales. Photo by Petty Officer Daniel Goodman.

The government has unveiling the development and integration of payloads into the Ghost Shark and Speartooth uncrewed underwater vehicles as well as the BlueBottle uncrewed surface vessel.

Some of these payloads will take part in Exercise Maritime Big Play Pacific.

Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy said the modular design of the various platforms allowed them to operate a range of different payloads, customised to the required mission.

“Payload examples include the remote delivery of supply caches, sea mines and uncrewed aerial vehicles,” Mr Conroy said.

“These technologies directly deliver on the Royal Australian Navy’s mission requirements and will contribute to enhanced undersea warfare capabilities, seabed operations, sea denial and the protection of critical undersea infrastructure.”

This latest milestone builds on the testing of payloads and enabling systems with Australia’s AUKUS partners at previous iterations of Exercise Maritime Big Play over the past three years.

It also complements the announcement by AUKUS defence ministers in May of the first Pillar II Signature Project: developing cutting-edge payloads and enabling systems for AUKUS partners’ uncrewed undersea vehicles.  

Defence Minister Richard Marles said that through the 2026 National Defence Strategy (NDS) and Integrated Investment Program (IIP), the government was investing up to $5.8 billion over the decade for autonomous and uncrewed undersea warfare capabilities, including $1.7 billion to acquire a new fleet of Australian­‑designed and -built Ghost Shark platforms for the Royal Australian Navy.

“This announcement, at Anduril’s facility in New South Wales, demonstrates Australia’s growing leadership in autonomous undersea technologies and ability to translate cutting‑edge innovation into operational capability,” Mr Marles said.

“The advancement and design of payloads and enabling systems is a collaboration between the Royal Australian Navy, Defence Science and Technology Group, Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator and defence industry.

“In an increasingly complex strategic environment, we are committed to delivering practical outcomes that strengthen Australia’s defence capability and build our sovereign defence industry.

“The development of advanced, cutting‑edge payloads under AUKUS Pillar II is a critical part of our work alongside the United States and the United Kingdom.

“Australia will again have the opportunity to showcase its sovereign developments at Exercise Maritime Big Play Pacific this week, and our work behind the scenes means we can be more open about our work to deliver these important technologies.”

Mr Conroy said Ghost Shark was a flagship Australian success story that showcased the ingenuity of Australian defence industry and the value of investing in sovereign capability.

“We opened this factory less than a year ago.

“Ghost Shark is capable of a range of complex missions operating far from our shores and are now rolling off the line at an increasing rate into the hands of the Australian Navy.

“This announcement is yet another landmark moment that underscores that Australia is a world leader in the development of autonomous undersea capabilities.

“It also underscores the government’s commitment to supporting our sovereign defence industry and a future made in Australia.

“We are committed to building a strong sovereign industrial base that delivers advanced capability for Defence while creating highly skilled jobs for Australians.”

While the government announced three new payloads for Ghost Shark, Anduril CEO David Goodrich went further, saying Ghost Shark’s large payload bays also supported the deployment of heavyweight and lightweight torpedoes, as well as future capabilities.

“Anduril’s open system architecture means new payloads can be integrated quickly as they develop and mature over time, ensuring that Ghost Shark’s potency is always at the cutting edge and at least one step ahead of the emerging threats,” Mr Goodrich said.

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