DIU, Navy tap Anduril to prototype Dive-XL autonomous submarine

WASHINGTON — The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and the US Navy have tapped Anduril to participate in the Combat Autonomous Maritime Platform Project (CAMP) with its prototype autonomous submarine, known as Dive-XL.

The contract includes conducting a long-range, “operationally representative” demonstration within four months of the contract award, according to Anduril. 

The Dive-XL prototype is similar to the Ghost Shark Extra Large Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (XL-AUVs) the company is currently delivering to the Royal Australian Navy, Anduril said. 

Andrew Nuss, who leads growth and strategy for Anduril’s maritime division, told reporters on Wednesday that the company views the CAMP program as aligned fully with two key documents released last month: the White House’s recent Maritime Action Plan, which backs investing in robotic system capabilities, as well as Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle’s new Fighting Instructions guidance.

The latter outlines plans for the Navy to employ a “hedge force” strategy that seeks to utilize unmanned systems and employ a range of tailored options pairing various systems. Likewise, the guidance instructs the Navy to determine how to fully embrace robotic autonomous systems in its command structure.

“In CNO’s Hedge Strategy, he’s really trying to drive these robotic and autonomous systems towards interoperability, not just interoperability within his own platforms and systems, but interoperability with allies and partners,” Nuss said. “I think this is a great example of how these kinds of systems, through the Ghost Shark program in Australia and now the CAMP program here in the US, maybe can help accelerate that Hedge Strategy with this reliance on allies and partners.” 

Shane Arnott, senior vice president of Anduril’s maritime division, told reporters that the Dive-XL can operate independently, or alongside crewed or unmanned systems. 

“This particular asset is a very long-range, very long-endurance capability,” Arnott said. “So some of those missions are at range by themselves, some of those missions are in collaboration with other systems, including crewed systems that are out there, or other unmanned systems or undersea communications systems, etcetera. So it’s kind of all the above.”

Anduril did not disclose the value of the contract it was awarded, and did not share whether it was working with any industry partners for its works with CAMP. 

DIU did not respond to a request for comment by deadline from Breaking Defense on whether any other industry partners were also awarded contracts as part of the CAMP program, which seeks to quickly prototype and field XL-AUVs.