Anduril Opens Sydney Factory for $1.7B Ghost Shark Undersea Drone Program

Anduril Industries has opened a 7,400 square meter advanced manufacturing facility in Sydney to produce its Ghost Shark Extra Large Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (XL-AUV) for the Royal Australian Navy, following a A$1.7 billion ($1.12 billion) five-year Program of Record contract. The first Ghost Shark XL-AUV rolled off the production line ahead of schedule and has entered sea acceptance testing, with delivery to the Navy planned for January 2026. The facility, which integrates robotic manufacturing, AI-driven logistics, and a custom in-water test tank, supports low-rate initial production with full-scale production expected in 2026. The program involves over 40 Australian small and medium enterprises supplying parts, creating more than 150 high-skilled jobs, and aims to build sovereign undersea capability while Australia awaits nuclear submarines. Besides the Ghost Shark, the factory is configured to produce commercial variants such as Dive-XL and Dive-LD and will support future platforms like the Copperhead family of autonomous underwater vehicles. Australian Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy and Anduril Australia CEO David Goodrich highlighted the factory's strategic importance for national defense and job creation.