Australia’s Ghost Shark Fleet Set to Carry Armed Aerial Drones and Sea Mines
Australia’s Ghost Shark autonomous underwater vehicle program is moving towards a more advanced maritime defence role, with plans reportedly involving armed aerial drones and sea mines. The development reflects Australia’s growing investment in autonomous military technology as defence planners focus on protecting maritime approaches and strengthening undersea capabilities. It also raises important questions about operational safety, human oversight, and the future role of uncrewed systems in naval warfare.
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Australia’s Ghost Shark Fleet Set to Carry Armed Drones and Sea Mines
Australia is advancing its autonomous naval warfare capabilities, revealing that its Ghost Shark underwater drones will be able to deploy armed aerial drones, lay sea mines, and deliver supplies to personnel operating in remote locations. The announcement marks a major step in the development of uncrewed systems for the Royal Australian Navy.
The development reflects a broader shift in modern defence strategy, as countries increasingly explore how autonomous technology can perform dangerous missions while reducing risks to military personnel.
What Is the Ghost Shark?
The Ghost Shark is an extra large autonomous underwater vehicle developed through a partnership involving the Australian Department of Defence, the Royal Australian Navy, and defence technology company Anduril Australia.
Unlike conventional submarines, the Ghost Shark is designed to operate without a crew onboard. Its modular construction allows it to carry different equipment and payloads depending on its mission, including surveillance technology and strike capabilities.
In September 2025, the Australian government signed a $1.7 billion contract to develop and acquire a fleet of these vehicles. The program aims to strengthen Australia's undersea warfare capabilities while supporting domestic defence manufacturing and technological development.
Three Newly Revealed Capabilities
Australia's Defence Department has outlined three important payload capabilities for its autonomous underwater systems.
Launching armed aerial drones
Ghost Shark vehicles will be able to deploy swarms of Anduril Altius aerial drones. These uncrewed aircraft can support reconnaissance missions and, in certain configurations, carry explosive payloads. This gives naval forces another potential way to gather intelligence or engage targets at a distance.
Deploying sea mines
The underwater vehicles can also carry and deploy naval mines. A Ghost Shark may carry up to 12 mines at a time. Such systems could be used to restrict access to strategically important waterways during a conflict.
Delivering supplies
A third capability involves transporting supply caches to difficult to reach locations. This could support special forces personnel and other military teams operating in remote environments, reducing the need to send crewed vessels into potentially dangerous areas.
Together, these capabilities illustrate how a single autonomous platform can be adapted for several different operational roles.
Why Australia Is Investing in Autonomous Naval Technology
Australia's geography makes maritime security a central part of its national defence strategy. The country depends on sea routes for international trade, energy supplies, and connections with regional partners. Protecting those routes and monitoring activity across a vast maritime area requires significant resources.
Autonomous underwater vehicles could help the Navy maintain surveillance over extended periods, collect information, and undertake missions that might otherwise require crewed submarines or surface ships.
The government has committed up to $5.8 billion over a decade to autonomous and uncrewed undersea warfare capabilities, including the Ghost Shark fleet. The program is intended to complement existing and future crewed naval platforms rather than replace them entirely.
AUKUS Cooperation and International Partnerships
The Ghost Shark program also forms part of Australia's wider defence cooperation with the United Kingdom and the United States through AUKUS.
Under the partnership's second pillar, the three countries are working on advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, sensors, and undersea capabilities. Australia has indicated that some of the payload technologies being developed for Ghost Shark will be offered to its AUKUS partners.
Shared payloads and compatible systems could help allied forces cooperate more effectively in future operations. However, each country will still make its own decisions about procurement, deployment, and operational use.
Questions About Autonomous Warfare
The growing use of autonomous military systems raises important questions about accountability, human oversight, and the risks of unintended escalation.
Underwater drones can operate in environments where communication is difficult and visibility is limited. Systems that carry weapons or deploy mines therefore require careful testing, clear operating procedures, and safeguards to ensure that their use complies with international humanitarian law.
Naval mines also present particular concerns because they can threaten vessels beyond the immediate circumstances in which they were deployed. Their use is governed by international law, and protecting civilian shipping remains an important consideration in maritime conflict.
These challenges do not apply only to Australia. As more countries invest in autonomous military technology, international discussions about safety, responsibility, and the rules governing armed conflict are likely to become increasingly important.
What Happens Next?
The newly revealed payloads are being tested and demonstrated as part of Exercise Maritime Big Play Pacific in the San Diego area, involving Australia and its AUKUS partners. The exercise provides an opportunity to evaluate how autonomous undersea systems and their payloads can operate alongside allied capabilities.
The next stage will involve further development, integration, and assessment as Australia works towards delivering its planned fleet. The program's success will depend not only on the technology itself, but also on reliability, affordability, operational readiness, and the ability to coordinate autonomous platforms with existing naval forces.
Australia's Ghost Shark initiative demonstrates how rapidly defence technology is evolving. Underwater vehicles that once focused primarily on surveillance are now being designed to support a much broader range of military missions.
For Australia, the objective is to strengthen maritime defence and give the Navy additional options in complex operating environments. For the wider world, the program offers another example of how autonomous technology is changing the future of naval warfare.
DailyWAOnline will continue to follow developments in defence innovation, international security, and the technologies shaping Australia's strategic future.
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