Ghost Shark XL-AUV Demonstrates Aerial Drone Launching Capabilities for the First Time
- Published
- Source
- TheWarZone
Recent footage of Australia's Ghost Shark extra-large autonomous underwater vehicle (XL-AUV) showcases its ability to launch aerial drones, marking a significant advancement in its operational capabilities. The video reveals the vehicle's design, including deployable masts and a 12-tube launcher, enhancing its role in intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), and strike missions.
This development is crucial as it allows the Royal Australian Navy to integrate various payloads, such as sea mines and air-launched effects, into the Ghost Shark. The ability to deploy up to two dozen drones in a single sortie could transform naval operations, enabling broad-area surveillance and electronic warfare without risking crewed vessels.
Looking ahead, the modular design of Ghost Shark suggests potential for accommodating different types of aerial drones, enhancing its versatility. The presence of deployable masts indicates a shift from traditional submarine designs, focusing on sensor and communication capabilities. No further timeline was disclosed at the time of publication.
Original report
Ghost Shark Uncrewed Submarine Shown Launching Aerial Drones For The First Time
TheWarZone · Thomas NewdickThis 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.
Rights concerns? Contact [email protected] with the relevant URL and details. We will review the matter and take appropriate action where warranted.
More related news
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
-
11
RobotToday Weekly October 5 – 9, 2026 RobotToday · 1 week ago
- 12
Related Suppliers
Anduril Industries
United States
Anduril Industries is a US defense tech company building autonomous aircraft, counter-drone systems, Dive-class undersea vehicles and Lattice software.
Mission Control Space Services Inc.
Canada
Ottawa firm behind the Spacefarer rover-operations platform and Spacefarer AI; leads a CSA Lunar Utility Rover consortium and builds Rashid 2 comms.
Voyager Technologies
United States
Denver-based US defense and space company operating the ISS Bishop Airlock and developing the Starlab space station; formerly Voyager Space Holdings.
ALTUS LSA
Greece
Greek defence technology company founded 2011, delivering turnkey UAS for ISR, border surveillance, and mapping to NATO, FRONTEX, and European agencies.
Aurelius Systems
United States
US defense startup building Archimedes, an autonomous AI-guided directed-energy laser turret that detects, tracks, and neutralizes hostile drones.
AION Robotics Corporation
United States
Westminster, CO manufacturer of commercial-grade UGVs (R1, R6) running ArduPilot/ROS, targeting agriculture, construction, and security inspection.
Applied Aeronautics
United States
Manchaca, Texas UAV maker founded in 2014; builds the fixed-wing Albatross drone, flown by operators in more than 55 countries.
ZeroUSV
United Kingdom
British manufacturer of fully autonomous uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) for long-endurance offshore survey, defence, and environmental monitoring missions.
Gabler Group
Germany
German submarine-systems maker since 1962 that built the Ranger, a torpedo-tube-launched autonomous surface vessel, with partner FLANQ.
BAE Systems plc
United Kingdom
London defence prime formed 1999, building uncrewed systems incl. the Herne XLAUV, T-Series heavy-lift drones, PHASA-35 solar HAPS and Brontanax CCA.
University of Hawaii Autonomous Systems Lab
United States
Univ. of Hawaii lab researching UAS, UAV, and autonomous underwater vehicles using Pacific Ocean access for maritime and aerospace autonomous systems.
Cellula Robotics Ltd.
Canada
Cellula Robotics builds hydrogen fuel-cell and battery AUVs (Guardian, Envoy) reaching up to 5,000 km range for defense and energy survey.
Robotics needs a service framework.
RSF defines a common language for robot service capability, lifecycle operations, certification pathways, and service-provider networks.
Join the RobotToday community on LinkedIn
Daily robotics news, in-depth analysis, conference highlights, and discussions with professionals worldwide.
