Australia's new 'Ghost Shark' submarines to carry aerial drones, sea mines

The Ghost Shark is an extra-large autonomous submarine developed by Anduril with Australia's defence scientists. It is designed to operate underwater without a crew inside. That makes it different from Australia's conventional submarine fleet, which carries people and is controlled directly by onboard sailors.

Its autonomous design lets it travel long distances and carry useful payloads. The article lists sea mines, special-forces equipment, and Altius aerial drones among its approved payloads. It can also work alongside crewed submarines rather than replacing them. Australia is building a Ghost Shark fleet under a A$1.8 billion contract.

The main significance is that Australia can send an underwater platform into risky areas without placing a crew aboard. Officials say it can perform tasks they do not want humans to do. The article does not give the Ghost Shark's exact size, speed, range, or crewed-submarine operating differences beyond its autonomous design and long-distance capability.

The Ghost Shark's approved payloads are sea mines, special-forces equipment, and Anduril's Altius aerial drone. These payloads expand what an underwater drone can do. Instead of serving only as a vehicle, it can carry weapons, support special-forces activity, and release aircraft from beneath or at sea.

The Altius drones can be launched at sea in swarms. According to the article, those swarms can conduct reconnaissance and strike missions. The Ghost Shark can carry up to 12 sea mines, which can be placed as underwater hazards. The article does not explain the mines' exact design or how they are deployed.

Together, the payloads give the platform several roles. Aerial drones can gather information or attack targets. Mines can threaten shipping routes. Special-forces equipment can support operations, although the article does not specify which equipment or missions are involved. The three payloads were approved after secret trials.

Australia has committed A$1.8 billion to build a Ghost Shark fleet with Anduril. The contract is worth US$1.3 billion in the article's conversion. It marks a major investment in autonomous undersea warfare as Australia expands its drone capabilities. The program is intended to create more than a single experimental vehicle.

The article gives one clear capacity figure: each Ghost Shark can carry up to 12 sea mines. It can also carry Altius aerial drones and equipment for special forces. Those payloads allow one underwater vehicle to support several kinds of operation, including reconnaissance, strike, and mine deployment.

The exact number of submarines planned for the fleet is not stated. Officials say Australia is building a fleet, but provide no vessel count, production schedule, or total payload inventory. The program will work alongside Australia's crewed submarine fleet. Interest from other countries could also broaden the Ghost Shark's future market.

The biggest change is reduced direct exposure for human crews. A Ghost Shark can carry weapons and launch systems into dangerous waters without placing sailors inside the platform. Defence Minister Pat Conroy described the approved payloads as tools for doing things officials do not want humans to do.

The mechanism is layered. The underwater drone carries up to 12 sea mines and can launch Anduril's Altius aerial drones at sea. Those aircraft can form swarms for reconnaissance and strike missions. A Ghost Shark could therefore gather information or attack while remaining an underwater platform, though the article does not describe its exact control system.

This creates more uncertainty for potential adversaries. Conroy said even a shipping container at an Australian wharf could potentially hold a Ghost Shark, and that the vehicles now have “teeth.” The article presents the system as a partner to crewed submarines, not a replacement. It does not quantify its strategic effect.

Australia is expanding autonomous undersea warfare because officials are concerned about China's rapid naval build-up. The article also points to tensions in the South China Sea. These developments are pushing Canberra to invest more quickly in drones and other systems that can operate under or around the sea.

Ghost Shark is one part of that response. It can travel long distances and carry mines, special-forces equipment, and aerial drones. The Altius drones can form swarms for reconnaissance and strike. The underwater vehicle can work with crewed submarines, adding another operating option without requiring every mission to place sailors aboard.

The wider competition involves more than Australia. AUKUS partners Australia, Britain, and the United States pledged to develop interchangeable payloads for undersea-warfare drones. The article also says China is developing undersea sensors, weapons, and autonomous vehicles to counter US submarines. Australia has therefore linked its program to a broader regional and allied technology race.

Ghost Sharks are intended to work in tandem with Australia's crewed submarine fleet. Their value is not simply replacing people. They can travel long distances, carry mines or other equipment, and operate without putting a crew inside the vehicle. Crewed submarines would remain part of the same wider undersea force.

The autonomous platform is especially suited to missions involving risky payload delivery or extended underwater movement. It could carry up to 12 sea mines, support special forces, or launch Altius drones for reconnaissance and strike. A crewed submarine can provide human decision-making and operate directly with sailors aboard, but the article does not list a formal division of tasks.

Using both types could give Australia more flexibility. Ghost Sharks might extend the reach of crewed submarines or take on dangerous supporting actions. Crewed boats could coordinate broader operations and handle missions requiring onboard personnel. These are capability-based possibilities; the article only explicitly confirms tandem operation, not a detailed mission plan.

The article does not explain how Ghost Sharks navigate, communicate, stay powered, or avoid detection. In general, submarines and autonomous underwater vehicles use inertial navigation, which estimates movement from onboard sensors. They may also use acoustic systems, maps, and occasional updates from satellites or surface links when they can reach them.

Underwater communication is difficult because radio signals travel poorly through seawater. Vehicles commonly use acoustic communication for short data exchanges, while larger submarines can use other methods near the surface. Autonomous vehicles rely on onboard computers and sensors when communications are limited. Power usually comes from batteries or other onboard energy systems, depending on the vehicle.

Avoiding detection generally involves limiting noise, managing emissions, and choosing routes carefully. Sonar can detect objects, while quiet machinery and slow movement can reduce a vehicle's acoustic signature. These are established underwater-vehicle principles, not specifications confirmed for Ghost Shark. The article only confirms long-distance travel and autonomous operation.