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

Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles says giant 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 mentioned would complement the nation’s plans to amass subtle nuclear-powered submarines.

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

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

“We’ve got constantly articulated that Australia faces probably the most complicated, in some methods, probably the most threatening, strategic panorama that we have now had because the finish of the second world warfare,” Marles mentioned.

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

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

Australia is within the midst of a serious army restructuring, centered on bolstering its long-range strike capabilities in an effort to steadiness China’s increasing army may within the Asia Pacific area.

Marles additionally mentioned that Australia was now a number one participant in “the world when it comes to autonomous underwater army capabilities, and Ghost Shark is able to participating 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 mentioned, including that the primary Ghost Sharks will probably be in service firstly of 2026.

Australia’s Defence Science and Know-how Group has mentioned it needs to include autonomous know-how into the nation’s defence forces as a result of Australia has an unlimited 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 america underneath the AUKUS programme over three a long time.

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 army first.

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