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Australia advances undersea warfare capabilities
Australia unveiled new mission-payload integration for its Ghost Shark and Speartooth uncrewed underwater vehicles and Bluebottle unmanned surface vessels on October 19, 2026, for demonstrations at AUKUS Maritime Big Play Pacific near San Diego. The modular payload concepts include delivering sea mines, underwater supply caches and aerial drones, with Ghost Shark able to deploy up to 12 mines and launch ALTIUS vehicles for surveillance or strike according to Australian officials. The capability work contributes to a planned Australian investment of up to A$5.8 billion over a decade in autonomous undersea warfare, including A$1.7 billion for Ghost Shark. Some payloads are being demonstrated rather than confirmed as routinely deployed.