Ghost Shark (XL-AUV)

The Ghost Shark, also designated the Ghost Shark XL-AUV, is an extra-large autonomous underwater vehicle developed by Anduril Industries and the Australian Department of Defence for the Royal Australian Navy. The development program initiated in May 2022 under a contract with the Defence Science and Technology Group to produce three prototypes. The project was officially named Ghost Shark in December 2022, and the first prototype, designated Alpha, was publicly revealed in April 2024. Following the delivery of the prototypes, the Australian government announced in September 2025 that it would commit 1.7 billion Australian dollars over five years to acquire dozens of the vehicles. The Royal Australian Navy took delivery of production units and stood up the Maritime Autonomous Systems Unit on 14 April 2026 under Project SEA 1200, bringing the Ghost Shark into operational service alongside the Bluebottle and Speartooth systems. The United States Navy also acquired one prototype for its own trials.

The Ghost Shark utilizes a flooded hull design rather than a conventional pressure hull. Waterproof zones within the hull contain the propulsion systems, navigation systems, and payloads. This configuration is designed to facilitate operation at extreme depths and support modular payloads tailored to specific mission requirements. The vehicle's propulsion, navigation, and autonomous decision-making are controlled by Anduril's Lattice software framework, which utilizes artificial intelligence and machine learning.

The vehicle is designed to conduct intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, signals intelligence, and strike missions, as well as covert mine laying and the deployment of seabed sentries. It can be launched from shore facilities or from warships to augment crewed submarine fleets. For operational trials, the Royal Australian Navy utilized the auxiliary vessel ADV Guidance as a support ship. In mid-2024, a Ghost Shark prototype was transported to Hawaii by a Royal Australian Air Force C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft for trials in the United States during Exercise RIMPAC. Production is supported by a supply chain of over 40 Australian companies and a dedicated manufacturing facility established by Anduril in Australia.