Play store
Australia is expanding the undersea warfare capabilities of its Ghost Shark autonomous submarine by equipping it with sea mines, special forces equipment and swarms of aerial drones, the defence ministry said on Monday.
The extra-large uncrewed submarine was jointly developed by US defence technology startup Anduril and Australian defence scientists. Anduril is building a fleet of Ghost Sharks for Australia under a A$1.8 billion (US$1.3 billion) contract.
Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said three payloads had been approved following secret trials, allowing the autonomous submarine to “do things we don’t want humans to do”.
The Ghost Shark will be capable of carrying up to 12 sea mines, equipment for special forces and Anduril’s Altius aerial drone, which can be launched at sea in swarms for reconnaissance and strike missions, Conroy told reporters in Sydney.
Potential adversaries would have to consider the possibility that shipping containers at Australian ports could conceal Ghost Shark submarines, he said.
“Not only could there be Ghost Sharks in those shipping containers, but those Ghost Sharks now have teeth,” Conroy said.
Australia is rapidly expanding investment in autonomous weapons amid concerns over China’s growing naval capabilities and tensions in the South China Sea.
Officials said the Ghost Shark could travel long distances and operate alongside Australia’s crewed submarine fleet. Conroy added that several other countries had expressed interest in acquiring the system.
Australia, Britain and the United States, partners in the AUKUS security pact, agreed this year to develop interchangeable payloads for autonomous systems used in undersea warfare, complementing their cooperation on nuclear-powered submarines.
China, meanwhile, is developing undersea sensors, weapons and autonomous vehicles to counter US submarines, the US Navy’s intelligence director told a US government committee in May.
Anduril earlier this month secured a US$2.9 billion US Navy contract to build components for Virginia-class submarines and announced plans for a new submarine shipyard in the United States.
Washington is seeking to accelerate submarine production to enable the planned sale of nuclear-powered submarines to Australia under the AUKUS agreement.