Australia Backs ‘Ghost Shark’ Fleet for Undersea Strikes

Australia will spend A$1.7 billion (US$1.1 billion) to field the ‘Ghost Shark’—an extra-large autonomous undersea drone capable of surveillance and strikes—marking a major expansion of the Royal Australian Navy’s long-range undersea warfare capabilities, officials announced in Sydney on September 10. Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles called it “the highest tech capability in the world,” confirming deliveries begin in early 2026 with plans for “dozens” of vehicles.

What Australia Is Buying

The Ghost Shark is an extra-large uncrewed undersea vehicle intended for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as stand-off strike missions at very long ranges. Officials say it can be operated from shore or surface vessels and is optimized for stealthy, autonomous patrols across extended distances.

Deployment Timeline and Scale

Marles said initial vehicles will be in service by the beginning of 2026, with a classified total buy but “dozens” planned over five years. A domestic production line run by Anduril Australia will deliver and sustain the fleet under a multi-year contract.

Strategic Rationale in an Unsettled Region

Canberra frames the move as part of a shift to long-range attack and area-denial amid what it calls the most complex strategic environment since World War II. The government argues a larger autonomous undersea force will help deter conflict and secure vital sea lanes across the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

Fit With AUKUS Submarine Plans

The autonomous program is designed to complement Australia’s planned nuclear-powered submarines arriving in the 2030s and early 2040s under the AUKUS pathway, filling near-term gaps in reach and persistence. Official timelines envisage initial Virginia-class transfers in the early 2030s and the first Australian-built SSN-AUKUS in the early 2040s.

A Global Race in Extra-Large UUVs

Allies are racing to field extra-large UUVs; the U.S. Navy’s Orca program is progressing through testing after first delivery in late 2023, though auditors flagged program-of-record uncertainty earlier this year. The Ghost Shark’s rapid path from prototype to fleet underscores how autonomy is moving from trials to operational inventories.