# Anduril Ghost Shark [[Anduril]]'s extra-large autonomous underwater vehicle (XL-AUV) — effectively an unmanned submarine — being developed jointly with the Australian Department of Defence for the Royal Australian Navy. Ghost Shark is Anduril's most significant international program, a cornerstone of the AUKUS security compact, and the company's entry into undersea warfare. ## What It Does Ghost Shark is a long-range, all-electric autonomous submarine designed for persistent undersea operations without human crew. It can conduct intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), strike, seabed monitoring, and autonomous maritime missions for extended periods and over vast distances. ### Specifications - **Length:** Under 12 meters (in at least one configuration) - **Displacement:** Less than 100 tonnes - **Range:** Multi-thousand-mile (3,200km+ minimum) - **Propulsion:** All-electric - **Software:** [[Anduril Lattice]] AI/ML framework - **Capability:** ISR, strike, seabed monitoring, anti-submarine warfare Ghost Shark evolved from the smaller **Dive-LD** testbed (2.8 tonnes, 5.8m long), which served as the technology precursor and experimentation platform. The Ghost Shark design is based on Anduril's Dive-XL autonomous submarine architecture. ## Key Milestones - **May 2022:** Anduril began negotiations with the Australian Navy for the underwater drone joint venture (~$90M initial). - **April 2024:** First Ghost Shark prototype publicly revealed. - **September 2025:** Australia's Royal Navy awarded A$1.7B (~$1.1B USD) Program of Record contract. Full-rate production announced. - **November 2025:** First Ghost Shark XL-AUV delivered to the Australian Navy. - **March 2026:** [[U.S. Navy]] (via DIU) selected Anduril for XL-AUV program. ## Who Uses It ### Royal Australian Navy (Primary Customer) A$1.7B Program of Record for multiple XL-class undersea vehicles. 40+ Australian companies in the supply chain. Anduril invested $60M in a dedicated manufacturing facility in Sydney, producing entirely sovereign Australian autonomous maritime platforms. The first operational vehicle was delivered November 2025. ### U.S. Navy Selected by the [[Defense Innovation Unit]] (DIU) and U.S. Navy for the XL-AUV program (March 2026). Anduril has been pitching Ghost Shark to the U.S. Navy as a complement to traditional submarine forces — cheaper, expendable autonomous platforms that can extend the Navy's undersea reach without risking crewed submarines. ### AUKUS Context Ghost Shark is directly tied to the AUKUS trilateral security compact (Australia, UK, US). AUKUS Pillar 2 focuses on advanced capabilities including autonomous undersea systems. Ghost Shark is the most concrete deliverable of AUKUS's undersea warfare pillar, positioning Australia as a key node in the Indo-Pacific deterrence architecture against China. ## Contract Value - A$1.7B (~$1.1B USD) Australian Program of Record (September 2025) - $60M Anduril investment in Sydney manufacturing facility - U.S. Navy XL-AUV program value TBD (March 2026) - Total Ghost Shark/undersea program: $1.2B+ and growing ## Controversies 1. **Autonomous undersea strike:** A submarine that can conduct strike missions without a human crew raises accountability questions. Who is responsible when an autonomous submarine fires on a target? The "human-in-the-loop" argument is more complex for undersea vehicles that operate autonomously for weeks or months at a time with limited communication. 2. **AUKUS escalation:** Ghost Shark is a visible component of the Western military posture against China in the Indo-Pacific. Beijing views AUKUS as provocative, and autonomous undersea weapons platforms add a new dimension to the competition. 3. **Dependence on a startup:** Australia is committing $1.1B+ to a defense program built by a company that didn't exist 10 years ago. If Anduril fails or is acquired, Australia's undersea warfare capability could be disrupted. ## See Also - [[Anduril Product Ecosystem]] — Master reference - [[Anduril]] — Company record - [[Anduril Lattice]] — Software platform - [[Anduril Ghost]] — Separate aerial drone system (shared naming) - [[Palmer Luckey]] - [[Autonomous Weapons Debate]] - [[Saronic Technologies]] — Another autonomous naval vessel company