Australia is quietly building one of the world’s most ambitious autonomous warfare capabilities, with two homegrown programmes, Ghost Shark and Ghost Bat, moving from prototype to production at a pace that has caught the attention of defence analysts.
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With the first Ghost Shark underwater drones set to enter service this year and the Ghost Bat already achieving a live missile firing, Canberra is positioning itself as a serious player in uncrewed military technology. The push comes amid rising regional tensions and growing concerns over maintaining strategic balance in the Indo-Pacific.The Ghost Shark programme, launched in mid-2022, is a collaboration between the Royal Australian Navy, the Defence Science and Technology Group, and Anduril Australia. By April 2024, the first prototype was delivered ahead of schedule, underscoring the programme’s rapid progress.In September 2025, the Australian government approved a A$1.7 billion five-year contract to build the first batch of dozens of Ghost Sharks, with operational deployment expected in early 2026. The funding also covers maintenance and continued development.“This is the highest tech capability in the world,” Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles said at the time. “It exemplifies the fact that Australia is leading the world in terms of autonomous underwater military capabilities.”The Ghost Shark is an extra-large autonomous undersea vehicle, significantly smaller than Australia’s Collins-class submarines. It is all-electric, with a range of at least 3,200 kilometres, and can be deployed from shore or ships. Its missions are expected to include intelligence gathering, surveillance, mine-laying, and anti-submarine support, particularly in high-risk environments where crewed submarines would face greater danger.Analysts say the platform could ease operational pressure on Australia’s existing submarine fleet by taking on risky and persistent surveillance roles. It is not designed to replace future nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS pact but to bridge the capability gap until those platforms become operational in the 2030s and 2040s.Industry leaders indicate that the system will continue evolving with improved autonomy, payloads and weapons. The programme is also boosting domestic manufacturing, with a growing supply chain involving dozens of Australian companies and hundreds of jobs.In parallel, Australia is advancing its aerial autonomous capability through the MQ-28 Ghost Bat, developed by Boeing’s Australian arm. The aircraft is designed to operate alongside crewed fighters, extending their reach and enhancing situational awareness.The Ghost Bat first flew in March 2021, marking Australia’s first domestically designed military aircraft in over five decades. Since then, development has accelerated, with the platform completing over 100 flights and demonstrating its ability to operate from active air force bases.In a major milestone, the aircraft successfully fired an air-to-air missile in December 2025, signalling progress towards potential combat deployment. The drone is capable of flying at near-sonic speeds, operating at high altitudes, and covering long distances, with a modular design that allows rapid reconfiguration for different missions.Military planners view the Ghost Bat as a key component of future air operations, particularly for long-range missions aimed at securing supply lines and projecting power across extended distances. The broader programme is expected to expand, with future variants potentially carrying heavier payloads.International interest is also emerging, with countries such as Germany exploring the platform as part of their own military modernisation efforts.While the current Australian government has not yet committed to fully arming the Ghost Bat, analysts argue that its operational potential will expand significantly once it is equipped with long-range weapons. At the same time, there are concerns about keeping costs manageable to ensure the platform remains scalable and widely deployable.Both Ghost Shark and Ghost Bat reflect a broader shift in Australia’s defence strategy. Facing a rapidly evolving security environment, Canberra is investing in systems that are numerous, cost-effective and capable of operating autonomously, while also integrating closely with allied forces.These efforts are supported by the AUKUS partnership, particularly its focus on advanced capabilities such as autonomous systems. Joint exercises with the United States and the United Kingdom have already tested these technologies, with other regional partners showing interest.As Australia accelerates development across air and undersea domains, the twin programmes signal a clear strategic direction: building a flexible, technology-driven force capable of operating effectively in high-threat environments while reducing risks to human personnel.
