Ghost Shark making waves in the Pacific: Weapon of the week

Ghosts and sharks often top the list of things people fear. It is unclear if defense contractor Anduril had this in mind when naming its advanced extra-large autonomous undersea vehicle, but the name’s attention-grabbing nature earned the Ghost Shark a feature as the weapon of the week.

Ghost Shark is a product of a 2022 agreement between Anduril Australia, the Royal Australian Navy and the Defence Science and Technology Group. The goal was to develop an underwater drone capable of various missions, with surveillance being the primary focus. If the name is not intimidating, its capabilities likely are.

Although specifics have not yet been provided, the Ghost Shark is based on the Dive-LD submersible, developed by Dive Technologies and later acquired by Anduril.

The Dive-LD can operate autonomously underwater for 10 days and reach depths of nearly 20,000 feet. Anduril used technology from its proprietary autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) capability and its Lattice AI-powered software platform to develop Ghost Shark.

“Make no mistake, extra-large, autonomous undersea vessels will be a game changer,” Rear Adm. Peter Quinn, head of Navy capability for the Royal Australian Navy, said. “They will provide militaries with a persistent option for the delivery of underwater effects in high-risk environments, complementing our existing crewed ships and submarines, as well as our future uncrewed surface vessels.”

Anduril designed Ghost Shark to support sub-sea maritime missions anywhere in the world. The vessel is a modular, multi-purpose platform that can adapt to mission needs and serve as a force multiplier.

“The reason that we need new and emerging technology is so that we can create strategic surprise, but also so that we can avoid strategic surprise,” Professor Emily Hilder, head of the Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator at the Defence Science and Technology Group, said.

With an initial order of three prototypes to be built over three years, the first Ghost Shark was delivered ahead of schedule and on budget. The second prototype recently arrived in the U.S., just in time for the Rim of the Pacific Exercise, also known as RIMPAC.

According to the U.S. Navy, RIMPAC is one of the world’s largest maritime exercises, held biennially near the Hawaiian Islands to ensure the safety of sea lanes and security on the world’s oceans.

Anduril said the latest delivery will expand the test envelope for Ghost Shark by enabling testing on both sides of the Pacific in collaboration with U.S. government partners. This development should make the Ghost Shark a formidable presence for any potential adversary.

Access the full Weapons and Warfare episode here.

Access all Weapons and Warfare podcast episodes here.