Anduril Australia Opens New Ghost Shark Factory
On 31 October 2025, Anduril Australia officially inaugurated its new Ghost Shark manufacturing facility in Sydney. This 7,400m² factory will produce autonomous underwater vessels for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
Launch Event and Key Attendees
The opening ceremony was attended by Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy and Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Mark Hammond. It coincided with the rollout of the very first series-produced Ghost Shark extra-large autonomous underwater vehicle (XLAUV), ahead of its delivery schedule.
“The Ghost Shark is the most high-tech, long-range autonomous underwater capability that exists in the world today….” – Minister Pat Conroy
Contract Details and Production Plans
This milestone occurred just seven weeks after the RAN awarded Anduril a programme-of-record contract worth A$1.7 billion (US$1.1 billion) for a fleet of Ghost Sharks. The initial vessel is set for in-water testing and expected to be delivered to the RAN by January 2026.
Additional XLAUVs will be produced over the next five years as Anduril ramps up from low-rate initial production to full-scale manufacturing in 2026.
Project Significance
“This project is an exemplar of how the government and Defence are partnering with innovative companies to rapidly deliver capability to the warfighter.” – Minister Pat Conroy
Background on Ghost Shark Development
Before this programme of record, Anduril Australia co-developed and built three Ghost Shark prototypes under a three-year A$140 million (US$92 million) contract.
Author's summary: Anduril’s new Sydney factory marks a major step in delivering cutting-edge autonomous underwater vehicles to Australia’s navy through a significant government partnership and contract.