Australia’s nuclear subs are decades away. Its new $1.1B ‘Ghost Shark’ fleet arrives in less than two years.

Australia is making a bold new move in defense, pouring $1.1 billion into a fleet of game-changing autonomous underwater attack drones designed to navigate the tense waters of the Indo-Pacific. The program, dubbed ‘Ghost Shark,’ was unveiled by Defense Minister Richard Marles, who called it the most advanced underwater drone technology on the planet. Built by Anduril Australia, these stealthy, long-range drones are set to join the Royal Australian Navy starting in January 2026, creating 270 local jobs in the process.

Make no mistake: this investment is a direct response to China’s rapidly expanding military footprint in the South China Sea. This isn’t happening in a vacuum. The move follows a series of aggressive actions, including a Chinese naval fleet conducting live-fire drills between Australia and New Zealand and Chinese warships shadowing joint exercises with the U.S. and its allies. With satellite images revealing new Chinese bases that experts say could support an invasion of Taiwan, and Beijing recently hosting its largest military parade in years, the need for a strategic counter is clearer than ever.

So, what can these ‘Ghost Sharks’ actually do? These 36-foot unmanned vehicles are built for serious missions. They can dive to incredible depths of up to 6,000 meters and operate completely on their own for up to 10 days, gathering intelligence, conducting surveillance, or launching strikes. According to officials, their key advantage is the ability to hit targets from “extremely long distances,” giving Australia a powerful new layer of defense. While the exact number is under wraps, the navy expects to receive “dozens” of these advanced drones over the next five years.

This drone program isn’t happening in isolation; it’s a crucial piece of a much larger puzzle. The Ghost Sharks are designed to perfectly complement the AUKUS security pact with the U.S. and Britain, which will eventually equip Australia with nuclear-powered submarines. Since those submarines won’t be ready until the 2030s, the Ghost Shark fleet is a smart, fast-tracked solution to bridge the immediate capability gap. As Vice Admiral Mark Hammond explained, the “undersea battlespace” is only getting more competitive, and advanced autonomous systems like these are essential for maintaining a critical edge.