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“Speed to capability” is well and truly the catchphrase as Anduril officially opens its first Australian manufacturing facility in Sydney and celebrates the successful completion of its first production model for the Ghost Shark XLUUV.
In a milestone for Australia’s defence industrial base and for the nation’s growing naval capability, US defence start-up, Anduril, has officially opened its first, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Sydney which will be responsible for delivering Ghost Shark platforms for the Royal Australian Navy.
Ghost Shark as platform is designed from the keel up as modular, extra-large, underwater vehicle (XLUUV) Ghost Shark and will provide autonomous mass and payload agnostic intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and strike capabilities at a time when the Royal Australian Navy is undergoing its largest peacetime modernisation and expansion.
Described by Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AO as a “consequential” day for the Royal Australian Navy and the nation’s defence industrial base, the Sydney facility will be responsible for, as Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy said, “dozens” of Ghost Shark as part of the initial order.
Setting a cracking pace and embodying the concept of “speed to capability”, the Ghost Shark program has moved rapidly from prototype to production after three demonstrators met expectations, with the Australian government announcing in September that it had committed about AU$1.7 billion for fleet production, with initial deliveries scheduled from early 2026.
Today’s factory opening and the first completed production model of the Ghost Shark comes just seven weeks following the contract announcement, with the vessel now ready for in-water testing ahead of planned delivery to the Royal Australian Navy in January 2026.
In response to this milestone, VADM Hammond told the gathered dignitaries that from January 2026, Australia’s waters will have a new “natural predator” stalking prey, in a clear message to adversaries that may seek to cause Australia harm.
Minister Conroy welcomed the developments, saying, “The Ghost Shark is the most high-tech long range autonomous underwater capability that exists in the world today and the Albanese government is proud to have supported its development.”
The new 7,400-square metre facility has been purpose-built to manufacture the Ghost Shark and its commercial variant, the Dive-XL, at scale and pending government approval, for export to Australia’s allies and partners worldwide. The site features advanced robotic production lines, AI-enabled logistics systems and a custom-built test tank used to verify buoyancy, electrical performance and safety before each vehicle proceeds to sea trials.
Minister Conroy added, “The opening of this factory is about backing Australian ingenuity and innovation, but also securing hundreds of well-paid, high-skilled jobs and a future made in Australia.”
This sentiment was echoed by David Goodrich OAM, chairman and CEO of Anduril Australia, who added, “Today marks a defining moment in our mission to bring sovereign undersea capability to Australia. With the opening of this new facility, we are not only building local infrastructure and workforce – we are investing in innovation, in partnerships, and in the future defence of our nation. Affordable, disruptive and distributed mass is a central tenet of undersea deterrence, and we look forward to supporting Australia and its allies by producing Ghost Sharks right here in Sydney.”
Production of Ghost Shark has now begun under low-rate initial production, with full-scale manufacturing scheduled to commence in 2026. The program draws on a national supply chain of more than 40 Australian small and medium enterprises providing components, sub-assemblies and materials across a wide range of specialised fields, reinforcing the project’s strong domestic industrial base and sovereign capability focus.
More to come.
Stephen Kuper
Steve has an extensive career across government, defence industry and advocacy, having previously worked for cabinet ministers at both Federal and State levels.
