Australia to spend $1.1bn on underwater ‘Ghost Shark’ attack drones | Military News

Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles says massive underwater assault drones have ‘very lengthy vary’ of operations.

Australia will spend 1.7 billion Australian {dollars} ($1.1bn) on a fleet of extra-large underwater “Ghost Shark” assault drones, in a transfer that officers stated would complement the nation’s plans to amass subtle nuclear-powered submarines.

Australian Minister for Defence Richard Marles stated on Wednesday that the Ghost Shark autonomous underwater autos will complement Australia’s naval floor fleet and submarines to supply “a extra succesful and extra deadly navy”.

“This can be a profoundly essential functionality for the Royal Australian Navy,” Marles stated.

“We now have constantly articulated that Australia faces probably the most advanced, in some methods, probably the most threatening, strategic panorama that now we have had because the finish of the second world struggle,” Marles stated.

The federal government stated it signed the $1.1bn, five-year contract with Anduril Australia to construct, keep and develop the uncrewed undersea autos in Australia.

“That is the best tech functionality on the planet,” Marles stated, including that the drones would have a “very lengthy vary” in addition to stealth capabilities.

Australia is within the midst of a serious navy restructuring, targeted on bolstering its long-range strike capabilities in an effort to stability China’s increasing navy would possibly within the Asia Pacific area.

Marles additionally stated that Australia was now a number one participant in “the world by way of autonomous underwater navy capabilities, and Ghost Shark is able to partaking in intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and strike”.

Dozens of Ghost Sharks will probably be inbuilt Australia, with alternatives to export to the nation’s allies, Australian Minister for Defence Trade Pat Conroy stated, including that the primary Ghost Sharks will probably be in service firstly of 2026.

Australia’s Defence Science and Expertise Group has stated it desires to include autonomous know-how into the nation’s defence forces as a result of Australia has an enormous shoreline and as much as 3 million sq. kilometres (1.1 million sq. miles) of northern ocean that must be defended, however solely a comparatively sparse inhabitants.

Individually, Australia plans to construct stealth, nuclear-powered submarines with the UK and the USA beneath the AUKUS programme over three many years.

However critics of the AUKUS deal within the US have questioned why Washington would promote nuclear-powered submarines to Australia with out stocking its personal navy first.

Because of the criticism, US President Donald Trump’s administration has put AUKUS beneath overview to make sure it aligns together with his “America First” agenda.