Ghost Shark (submarine)

Lore & Background

The Ghost Shark project began with a contract signed in May 2022 between Anduril Industries, the Royal Australian Navy, and the Defence Science and Technology Group, requiring three prototype autonomous submarines over three years. The submarines were named 'Ghost Shark' in December 2022. The first prototype, designated 'Alpha', was publicly revealed in Sydney in April 2024, with the project running on budget and ahead of schedule. Trials had been underway for some time prior to the unveiling. In mid-2024, a Ghost Shark was flown to Hawaii on a RAAF Boeing C-17 Globemaster during Exercise RIMPAC for trials in the United States. By August 2024, the Australian Government and Anduril agreed to co-fund initial preparations for large-scale production. In August 2025, the Minister for Defence Industry announced negotiations for full-rate production, and on 10 September 2025, the Minister for Defence announced a fleet of 'dozens' of Ghost Sharks in a A$1.7 billion investment, entering service from early 2026.

Unlike conventional crewed submarines, the Ghost Shark uses a 'flooded' design inside hull spaces with waterproof zones for key systems, improving range, endurance, and depth capability. It has a modular, multi-purpose capability and is built upon Anduril's Lattice AI/machine learning software framework for propulsion, navigation, and mission decision-making. No specifications have been released, but the prototype was more than two metres high and much longer than the Anduril Dive-LD (5.8 metres). The Department of Defence stated the Ghost Shark provides a stealthy, long-range autonomous undersea warfare capability for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and strike. It can be launched from onshore or from warships.

Reader's Guide

The Ghost Shark represents a significant shift in naval capability for the Royal Australian Navy, moving from crewed submarines to autonomous systems for persistent undersea missions. Its development was fast-tracked after prototypes were delivered a year early and demonstrated sufficient capability, leading to a direct transition from Systems Design & Development to full-rate production. The A$1.7 billion investment for a fleet of 'dozens' of units, entering service from early 2026, underscores the Australian government's confidence in the platform. The project involves more than 40 Australian companies in the supply chain, and Anduril invested $60 million in a robotic manufacturing facility in Australia, ensuring sovereign production. The Ghost Shark is intended to augment the Navy's submarine fleet by relieving crewed boats of resource-intensive clandestine ISR, SIGINT, seabed sentry deployment, and offensive missions like covert sea mine laying. Its flooded hull design and Lattice AI framework enable extreme depths and autonomous decision-making, complementing crewed platforms and enhancing interoperability with allies. The program is part of broader initiatives to modernise the RAN with autonomous and uncrewed systems.

Did You Know?

• The Ghost Shark was named in December 2022.
• A Ghost Shark was flown to Hawaii on a RAAF C-17 Globemaster during Exercise RIMPAC in mid-2024.
• More than 40 Australian companies are part of the Ghost Shark supply chain.