Image source: topwar.ru
Anduril Industries, together with the Australian Navy, showed the first prototype of the Ghost Shark autonomous vehicle ("Ghost Shark"), belonging to the XL-AUV category – ultra-large underwater robotic products.
This project is being implemented in accordance with the 2022 agreement worth $90 million and is allegedly ahead of schedule and fits into the current budget. In total, 42 enterprises are involved in the program. At this stage, the goal of the Australians is to design and build three drones at local facilities in three years.
Image source: topwar.ru
The Australian Navy intends, in the person of Ghost Shark, to receive a multifunctional long-range underwater vehicle designed to solve a wide range of tasks, in particular, to continuously conduct reconnaissance, provide target designation and strike.
Image source: topwar.ru
The system under development is designed both for the Royal Australian Navy and to meet the needs of foreign customers. At the same time, it can solve not only military, but also civilian tasks. It is quite possible that one of the first users of Ghost Shark will be the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who relied on autonomous vehicles in the confrontation in the Black Sea due to the lack of traditional naval forces.