Australian Navy to receive its first Anduril Ghost Shark XL underwater drone in January 2026.

Australia will receive its first operational Ghost Shark XL autonomous underwater vehicle in January 2026, following the start of low-rate production at Anduril’s Sydney site.

As reported by Janes on November 24, 2025, the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) will take delivery of its first operational Ghost Shark XL-AUV autonomous underwater vehicle from Anduril Australia in January 2026. The delivery follows the start of the production at Anduril’s new Sydney facility, which has begun low-rate initial manufacturing under an A$1.7 billion Program of Record. The procurement is part of a A$1.7 billion program intended to produce multiple XL-class undersea vehicles to support long-range surveillance, seabed monitoring, and autonomous maritime missions.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link

In Australia, the Ghost Shark XL-AUV is expected to complement existing Collins-class submarines, which are undergoing life extensions, and the future nuclear-powered AUKUS submarines planned under trilateral arrangements. (Picture source: Australian MoD)

The first production unit of the Ghost Shark Extra Large Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (XL-AUV) has already rolled off the new manufacturing line in Sydney, ahead of schedule, following the establishment of an A$1.7 billion Program of Record intended to produce a fleet of Ghost Sharks over the next five years, as well as a co-funded initiative involving Anduril Australia, the Royal Australian Navy, and the Defence Science and Technology Group to design and develop three prototypes in three years. The program has advanced through iterative trials, including RIMPAC 2024 and Autonomous Warrior 2024, demonstrating early operational characteristics. Australia links the program to sovereign capability, industrial development, and future export potential. The manufacturing activities now support the production of Ghost Shark and other variants such as Dive XL.

The origins of the Ghost Shark program lie in a three-year A$140 million contract in 2022 that required Anduril to design and deliver three XL-AUVs within a compressed timeline. The first prototype, designated Alpha, was revealed in Sydney Harbour in April 2024, one year ahead of schedule and on budget, with subsequent Bravo variants incorporating lessons from initial trials. Anduril also produced a fourth prototype independently and transported it aboard a Royal Australian Air Force C-17A to Hawaii in 2024 for further evaluation alongside partners. This accelerated development timeline included an Early Works Contract valued at A$20.1 million to expand recruitment, scale the sovereign supply chain, and prepare infrastructure for the transition from prototype to production. More than forty Australian companies contributed components and materials during this early phase, while engineering teams from Anduril, the Defence Science and Technology Group, and the Royal Australian Navy worked jointly throughout design and testing to reduce risk and increase production readiness.

The new 7,400 m² Ghost Shark manufacturing facility in Sydney is configured for the high-rate production of the XL-AUV and its commercial Dive XL variant, while also supporting additional drones such as Dive LD and future Copperhead autonomous underwater vehicles. The site integrates robotic assembly lines, AI-assisted logistics, gantry tracking, and a custom in-water test tank used to verify buoyancy, electrical systems, and safety performance prior to sea trials. Engineering laboratories located alongside the test tank allow live adjustment of software and hardware during the validation process. Low-rate initial production has already begun, and full-scale production is scheduled for 2026 in alignment with the Program of Record. The industrial effort involves more than forty Australian small and medium-sized enterprises providing components, subcomponents, and materials. The facility directly employs approximately 120 personnel and is expected to generate more than 150 additional high-skilled jobs, along with up to 600 positions across the wider supply chain.

The Ghost Shark XL-AUV is based on Anduril’s Dive XL undersea vehicle and features a modular architecture with swappable sections housed within a largely flooded internal volume that contains sealed pressure zones for propulsion, navigation, and payload systems. This configuration differs from crewed submarines that use a single pressure hull and is intended to improve depth performance, endurance, and payload flexibility. The XL-AUV is electrically powered, propeller-driven, and significantly larger than the Dive LD, with estimates indicating a length exceeding 5.8 metres and a height greater than 2 metres. The Ghost Shark also incorporates Anduril’s Lattice artificial intelligence software framework, which manages propulsion, navigation, and autonomous mission execution. Several payload modules already exist, including at least two dedicated to intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance activities, as well as one oriented toward strike functions. The absence of a large backbone mast allows payload modules to deploy effectors or sensors in multiple directions within the available space. Officials indicate that more than a dozen additional payload concepts are being examined.

Operational testing of the Ghost Shark has included several participations in multinational exercises, with a prototype flown to Hawaii in mid-2024 for activity during the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, representing its first deployment to United States waters. Later in 2024, the Ghost Shark participated in Autonomous Warrior 2024 in Jervis Bay, where imagery showed the vehicle operating submerged with portions of the forward mast obscured to protect sensitive features. The exercise included additional uncrewed platforms such as the Greenough Advanced Rescue Craft, the Swiftships Sea Stalker, the Ocius Bluebottle uncrewed surface vessel, several REMUS series underwater vehicles, the Ocean Aero Triton hybrid platform, and another large undersea vehicle. Trials incorporated the Multi-Domain Uncrewed Secure Integrated Communications architecture and the Common Control System to support a cross-platform coordination. Observers from Japan were present during the activities, highlighting interest in cooperation on maritime autonomy under broader frameworks such as AUKUS.

Australian authorities describe the Ghost Shark XL-AUV as a long-range, stealth-oriented autonomous drone intended to strengthen the ability to patrol and secure maritime approaches during a period of increased regional naval competition. It is expected to complement existing Collins-class submarines undergoing life of type extensions and the future nuclear-powered submarines planned under trilateral arrangements. Officials note that the Ghost Shark is designed for persistent submerged intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and strike missions while reducing the operational burden on crewed submarines. The underwater drone may also support tasks such as seabed monitoring and covert mine laying. The September 2025 decision to commit A$1.7 billion toward the acquisition of “dozens” of vehicles formalises its role within the Royal Australian Navy, but production numbers remain undisclosed for security considerations.

The Ghost Shark will stand alongside other autonomous systems under development for the Royal Australian Navy, including the SeaWolf Extra Large Underwater Vehicle evolved from Solus LR and Envoy designs, and the Speartooth Large Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle. Surface programs include the Ocius Bluebottle uncrewed surface vessel, which can act as a communications gateway for underwater systems. These drones will operate within a broader future naval force structure that includes nuclear-powered submarines, Tier 1 surface combatants, general-purpose frigates, optionally crewed surface vessels, amphibious units, patrol assets, replenishment ships, and expanded aviation elements. In this, the Australian Government and industry leaders link the Ghost Shark to sovereign capability, noting that it is designed for manufacturability, mass production, and flexibility to support a resilient supply chain. The industrial base supporting the Ghost Shark also produces Dive XL and Dive LD variants and is preparing for potential export to the United States, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and European partners, but these are still subject to approval.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.