Australia plans to enhance its unmanned fleet with new capabilities.

According to a report by Reference News Network on October 23, Bloomberg News reported on October 19 that Australia plans to equip its fleet of underwater unmanned vehicles with weapons and announced that its unmanned vehicles will have the capability to deploy mines underwater and launch drones in the air.

According to reports, Australian Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy announced in Sydney on the 19th that the "Ghost Shark" unmanned underwater vehicle can deploy up to 12 mines and can launch drones for aerial reconnaissance and attack, or carry special forces equipment. The vehicle and the equipped "Starlink" drone are manufactured by the American defense company Anduril Industries.

Last year, the Australian government announced it would spend AUD 2 billion (approximately USD 1.4 billion) to purchase "Ghost Shark" unmanned underwater vehicles with intelligence collection, surveillance, reconnaissance, and strike capabilities.

Conroy stated in a press release, "The 'Ghost Shark,' capable of performing a range of complex tasks far from our shores, is being produced and delivered to the Royal Australian Navy at an increasing pace."

Reports indicate that in addition to the "Ghost Shark," the Australian government is also investing in other unmanned weapon systems. Last week, Conroy announced additional funding for the "Midge" unmanned surface vessel, a small surveillance boat capable of long-term operations at sea. Some of these will be provided to Fiji to help track and intercept drug shipments from South America, which has become an increasingly serious issue in recent years.

On the 19th, Conroy stated that Australia will also deploy towed sonar arrays on the "Midge" unmanned surface vessels, giving them submarine search capabilities.

Reports point out that Australia has begun to invest heavily in maritime drones to patrol its vast territorial waters and offset the impact of the reduction in the size of its traditional manned fleet. Due to difficulties in shipbuilding projects, the number of surface vessels is decreasing as older ships are retired, while replacement vessels will not enter service until the next decade. (Translated by Zhang Sihao)