Australia Introduces New Underwater Drone Payloads for Enhanced Naval Warfare
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- BreakingDefense
Australia has announced new underwater warfare payloads for its unmanned naval drones, which will be tested during the AUKUS Pillar II exercise in the US. These modular payloads will be integrated onto Anduril’s Ghost Shark, C2 Robotics’ Speartooth, and Ocius’s Bluebottle unmanned vessels, enabling them to deliver supply caches, sea mines, and UAVs remotely.
The introduction of these payloads is significant as it aligns with the Royal Australian Navy’s mission to enhance undersea warfare capabilities and protect critical undersea infrastructure. The payloads were unveiled at Anduril Australia’s facility in Sydney, where Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy highlighted their potential to deploy 12 mines and Anduril’s Altius UAV, emphasizing that the Ghost Shark now possesses offensive capabilities.
Looking ahead, some of these payloads will be utilized in the ongoing Exercise Maritime Big Play Pacific, aimed at fostering cooperation among AUKUS partners. The Royal Australian Navy's integration of advanced technologies like the thin-lined towed array sonar for Anti-Submarine Warfare signifies a strategic investment in autonomous maritime systems, enhancing operational flexibility in vast maritime environments.
Original report
Ghost Shark with teeth: Australia unveils underwater drone payloads
BreakingDefense · Mike YeoThis briefing is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting and is provided for industry information and news discovery. The original report and source publication are credited and linked where applicable. RobotToday does not claim ownership of third-party source material.
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