Anduril Australia Launches New Ghost Shark Factory
On 31 October 2025, Anduril Australia inaugurated its new 7,400m² Ghost Shark manufacturing facility in Sydney. This factory will produce autonomous underwater vessels for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
Factory Opening Event
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 first serial-produced Ghost Shark extra-large autonomous underwater vehicle (XLAUV), ahead of schedule.
“The Ghost Shark is the most high-tech, long-range autonomous underwater capability that exists in the world today….” – Pat Conroy
Contract and Production Details
Just seven weeks earlier, the RAN awarded Anduril a A$1.7 billion (US$1.1 billion) program-of-record contract for a fleet of Ghost Sharks. The initial vessel is now ready for in-water testing and is expected to be delivered by January 2026.
Additional XLAUVs will be produced over the next five years. Anduril is currently in the low-rate initial production phase and plans to scale up to full production in 2026.
Significance of the Program
“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 contract, Anduril Australia developed three Ghost Shark prototypes through a three-year A$140 million (US$92 million) contract.
Author’s summary: Anduril’s new Sydney factory begins producing advanced Ghost Shark underwater vehicles, marking a key step in delivering cutting-edge autonomous naval technology to the Australian Defence Force.