Australia announces new Ghost Shark submarine payloads

Australia has announced three new payloads for its Ghost Shark autonomous submarines: naval mines, aerial drones and underwater supply caches. Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said the vessels will be able to deploy up to 12 mines on a single mission, while their capacity to launch aerial drones has not been disclosed. Conroy said the submarines will carry Anduril’s Altius aerial drones for surveillance and strikes. He declined to say how many each vessel could launch, citing operational security. A third payload will let the submarines place equipment and supplies underwater for later retrieval, a capability that could support special forces, according to the announcement. The payloads broaden the missions planned for the uncrewed vessels, which can be launched from shipping containers on wharves or deployed from relatively small vessels. The mine capability could be used to restrict shipping routes or the movement of warships. The announced capabilities have not been accompanied by operational testing results in the reports. Australia has received its first production Ghost Shark submarine, and more than 40 Australian companies have contributed to the supply chain,...