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The Australian Government has unveiled new sea mine, deployable logistics cache and launched swarms of Altius uncrewed aerial vehicle payloads for the Ghost Shark extra-large autonomous underwater vehicle.
Minister for Defence Industry, Pat Conroy confirmed the new payloads during a press conference earlier today at Anduril Australia’s factory in Sydney.
The Government has also confirmed development and integration of payloads into Speartooth Uncrewed Underwater Vehicles and BlueBottle USVs. Some payloads will take part in Exercise Maritime Big Play Pacific in San Diego this month.
The modular design of these platforms reportedly allows them to operate a range of different payloads, customised to the required mission. Payload examples include the remote delivery of supply caches, 12 deployable sea mines and ISR or strike option Altius uncrewed aerial vehicles. Minister Conroy also confirmed that BlueBottle USVs will feature thin line towed array sonar for detecting submarines.
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.
“Ghost Shark is a flagship Australian success story that showcases the ingenuity of our defence industry and the value of investing in sovereign capability,” according to Minister Conroy.
“Our government opened this factory less than a year ago and Ghost Sharks capable of a range of complex missions operating far from our shores 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 Australia is a world leader in the development of autonomous undersea capabilities. It also underscores the Albanese Government’s commitment to supporting our sovereign defence industry and a future made in Australia.
“The Albanese Government is committed to building a strong sovereign industrial base that delivers advanced capability for Defence while creating highly skilled jobs for Australians.”
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.
Through the 2026 National Defence Strategy (NDS) and Integrated Investment Program (IIP), the Albanese Government is 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, according to a government statement. Today’s 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.
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.
“Our security and prosperity are inseparable from our maritime domain, and as our undersea environment becomes increasingly contested, it's important that we continue to evolve how we understand, operate and deliver capability beneath the sea,” according to Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Matthew Buckley.
“Given the vastness of our maritime geography, the ability to rapidly deliver uncrewed systems adds numbers to our fleet and complements our crewed ships and submarines.
“This particular project that we’re talking about today, relating to the Ghost Shark and other undersea vehicles, is an important investment in autonomous and uncrewed maritime systems.
“It includes, as the Minister said, a number of advanced payloads, and they're all designed around our evolving mission requirements. All of this work directly supports my commander's intent, focused on our people, our platforms, our partners, and how we do things with purpose.
“In terms of our people, they remain the centre of all that we do, but we must equip our sailors and officers with the skills, tools and operational advantage to meet emerging challenges and to animate new technologies such as the uncrewed systems like the Ghost Shark.
“In terms of our platforms themselves, of course, they must continue to evolve, and the evolution of modular payloads that we can fit to uncrewed vessels like the Ghost Shark, like the Speartooth, like the Blue Bottle, creates enormous flexibility from us and allows us to adapt these systems to future missions and future requirements.
“The work that we're doing with our partners, such as Defence Science and Technology Group, other stakeholders in defence, defence industry and our AUKUS partners, is going to allow us to accelerate this innovation and ensure these technologies are integrated in the wider force.
“Our purpose is clear. We need to deliver capability at the speed of relevance, strengthen our ability to conduct undersea warfare and seabed operations, contribute to sea denial and help protect our critical undersea infrastructure.”
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