In a first, Australia's Ghost Shark submarine turns into aerial drone launchpad
Australia's Ghost Shark, an autonomous underwater vehicle, has successfully demonstrated the ability to launch aerial drones. This capability allows the submarine to extend its surveillance and strike reach beyond the water's surface.
Why it matters
This development represents a significant advancement in autonomous naval warfare, integrating undersea and aerial platforms for multi-domain operations.
Australia's Ghost Shark has revealed a new dimension of underwater warfare, launching aerial drones from its uncrewed submarine in a first-of-its-kind demonstration that could give underwater platforms the ability to extend their reach into the skies.According to The War Zone (TWZ), footage released by manufacturer Anduril shows Ghost Shark surfacing, opening its upper hull compartments and raising a launcher containing 12 angled tubes to deploy an ALTIUS-type aerial drone. The demonstration offers a glimpse of how autonomous underwater vehicles could carry and launch aerial assets for surveillance and strike missions.Australia's defence industry minister Pat Conroy said the Ghost Shark programme is being developed to expand the Royal Australian Navy's autonomous undersea warfare capabilities.On October 19, the Australian government disclosed three planned payload roles for the platform: deploying up to 12 sea mines, placing logistics caches on the seabed and launching aerial drones for surveillance and strike missions.The latest footage also…
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