First Ghost Shark Launches from Anduril’s New Australian Factory
Anduril Australia officially opened its new Ghost Shark manufacturing facility in Sydney on 31 October 2025. The 7,400m² factory is dedicated to producing underwater vessels for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
The opening ceremony was attended by Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy and Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Mark Hammond. It marked the rollout of the very first series-produced Ghost Shark extra-large autonomous underwater vehicle (XLAUV), ahead of its planned delivery date.
“The Ghost Shark is the most high-tech, long-range autonomous underwater capability that exists in the world today….” – Pat Conroy
This event followed seven weeks after the RAN awarded Anduril a A$1.7 billion (US$1.1 billion) contract for a fleet of Ghost Sharks. The first vessel is now prepared for in-water testing and is expected to be delivered to the RAN by January 2026.
An unspecified number of additional XLAUVs are expected to be delivered over the next five years. Anduril is currently in the low-rate initial production phase, with plans to ramp up to full-scale production throughout 2026.
“This project is an exemplar of how the government and Defence are partnering with innovative companies to rapidly deliver capability to the warfighter.” – Pat Conroy
Before this programme of record, Anduril Australia co-developed and built three Ghost Shark prototypes under a three-year contract valued at A$140 million (US$92 million).
Author's summary: Anduril’s new Sydney facility has begun producing high-tech Ghost Shark underwater vehicles for the Australian Navy, marking a major step in expanding autonomous maritime defense capabilities.