While the US hesitates, Australia and Anduril move to place the XL undersea vehicle into operation. With Anduril’s support, Australia has achieved what the US Navy has struggled to perform: convert an extra-large underwater drone from concept to contract in only three years.
Anduril revealed Tuesday that a fleet of its XL uncrewed undersea vehicle Ghost Shark will start operations in Australian waters next year under a substantial AUS$1.7 billion/1.1 billion agreement.
Defense-Startup Milestone
The five-year award arrangement is the defense startup’s ultimate goal; it is a program of record that effectively guarantees recurring revenue by becoming a line item in the nation’s defense allocation.
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The contract for the platform, which offers long-range, covert monitoring and strike capabilities, covers delivery, servicing, and ongoing development. It also demonstrates political urgency in Australia to deploy new capabilities in the Indo-Pacific to discourage the escalating threat from China.
Innovation and Determination
At the conclusion, this comes down to having dedication, possessing creativity, and the determination to conceive a novel concept and bring it to reality. And that is exactly what the Australian government has accomplished, Anduril President Chris Brose stated in an interview.
Australia has fewer personnel, significantly less funding, and many of the same bureaucratic obstacles that the Pentagon encounters, yet they have successfully achieved this.
Comparison with the United States
The comparison with the United States is striking. The only XLUUV under design, Boeing’s Orca, is several years behind schedule. By contrast, Anduril and Australia co-developed and co-financed Ghost Shark in 2022, each contributing $50 million. The initial prototype was delivered in April 2024, a full year ahead of schedule, and manufacturing has already commenced.
New Model for Defense Procurement
The program introduces a new framework for defense procurement. Anduril invested some of its own capital to reduce risk in Australia’s otherwise swift acquisition timeline. Anduril is not limiting efforts to Australia. SVP of Maritime Shane Arnott mentioned Ghost Shark can be rapidly adapted locally, allowing governments to integrate their own payload modules as necessary.
Anduril has already manufactured a US payload currently being evaluated off California and has established a 150,000-square-foot facility in Rhode Island to produce Ghost Sharks domestically if a contract emerges.
Challenges and Advantages
The United States has experienced an XLUUV initiative that has been struggling for nearly a decade, Brose noted. It has spent considerably more funding on that effort than the Australian Government and Anduril invested in developing Ghost Shark, and it remains behind schedule. We have spent more time in, on, and under water, possess the ability to execute diverse missions, are more prepared to deploy, and can deliver at scale for a lower cost.
Strategic Urgency for Australia
For Australia, the urgency is unmistakable. It is the largest island nation with a limited population and proximity to Western opponents. Chief among them is China, which has swiftly expanded its navy and sent its vessels deeper into the Pacific, including provocative exercises off Australia’s coast. That threat has made Ghost Shark an attractive and timely solution.
Expanding Regional Security Capabilities
The deployment of Ghost Shark improves Australia’s regional security currency to a large extent. The drone’s secret design and long-distance features provide frequent monitoring of significant marine paths and strategic choke points in the Indo-Pacific. Analysts suggest that such platforms can perform aggressive exercises of rival navies by providing real-time intelligence for decision-making.
By taking advantage of this technique, Australia ranks as an active player in regional security rather than a reactive participant. Integration of an autonomous payload also enables flexible assignment profiles, including reconnaissance, monitoring, and limited aggressive operations, without postponing high-risk personnel.
This adaptability ensures that Australia can respond to developing threats more efficiently to develop threats, while other friendly countries can also provide a technical blueprint for countries considering similar programs.
Future Prospects and International Implications
Looking ahead, the success of the Ghost Shark program can affect defense purchasing strategies around the world. Other nations may discover similar cooperation between private defense Newfrants and public agencies to accelerate the outfits of procurement process.
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Anduril’s desire to invest its own resources shows a model where public-private partnerships reduce the growth risk by providing rapid operating capacity. The program also emphasizes the strategic importance of autonomous platforms in modern marine wars, especially in areas of competition.
For Australia, continuous innovation and production can lead to long-term advantages in marine intelligence, monitoring, and prevention. Ultimately, Ghost Shark not only represents a technical achievement, but also represents a change in the approach to defense moderation to nations in the 21st century.
