Australia Names Payloads for Ghost Shark, Speartooth and BlueBottle Under AUKUS
By Alex Luck · · TexaHub · Defence & Security, Drones
Australia announced payloads for three uncrewed maritime vehicles, including sea mines, seabed supply caches and drone swarms for Ghost Shark. The work falls under the first AUKUS Pillar II signature project.
Payload announcement
Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy announced payload integration for the Ghost Shark, Speartooth and BlueBottle uncrewed systems at Anduril Australia's facility in New South Wales on October 19. [1][2]
Ghost Shark XL is to carry up to 12 sea mines per mission, deployable seabed logistics caches and tube-launched Altius swarms usable as loitering munitions. BlueBottle's first payload is a thin-line towed array sonar. [2]
AUKUS exercise
The announcement was timed to Maritime Big Play Pacific, an AUKUS Pillar II exercise near San Diego running from October 5 to 25, in which some payloads were to take part. [1]
In May AUKUS defence ministers agreed the first Pillar II signature project, focused on payloads and enabling systems for uncrewed undersea vehicles. The Royal Australian Navy, the Defence Science and Technology Group, the Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator and industry collaborated on the work. [1][2]
Funding
Australia is investing up to A$5.8 billion over the decade in autonomous and uncrewed undersea warfare, including A$1.7 billion for a fleet of Australian-built Ghost Shark vehicles. [1][2]
Conroy said the Ghost Shark factory opened less than a year ago and that vehicles are being delivered to the Navy at an increasing rate. [1]
Sources
[1] Australia advances undersea warfare capabilities — Naval News
[2] Defense Tech Intelligence Brief - October 20, 2026 — EDS News