Australia enters drone warfare era with Ghost Bat and Ghost Shark

Australia is on a push to "maintain pace" with how rapidly drones are reshaping modern warfare. Defence Minister Richard Marles said conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East had shown the ability of drones "to generate significant asymmetric advantage against larger, more expensive platforms". "Autonomous systems now are really central to how war happens," he said. The government announced it would be investing $12–15 billion on drone and counter-drone technologies over the next decade. It is an increase of between $2–5 billion since the release of the 2024 National Defence Strategy. Central to the Defence Department's drone focus are its flagship Ghost Bat and Ghost Shark programs, which are both larger uncrewed military systems. About $2.2–3.1 billion will be dedicated to smaller drones. This is a look at some of the big-ticket technology and whether defence experts think Australia is on the right track. A look at the Ghost Bat As the name suggests, the MQ-28A Ghost Bat is made for the skies. Developed for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), the autonomous drone was first unveiled in 2019 as the Loyal Wingman. The new name was later chosen because the Ghost Bat is "an Australian native mammal known for teaming together in a pack to detect and hunt", according to Boeing. The Ghost Bat was developed by Boeing for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). ( Supplied: Boeing/ADF ) The Defence Department says the Ghost Bat is "the first military aircraft designed and built in Australia in over 50 years". The project has cost the government about $2.3 billion since 2019, including a $1.4 billion investment announced in December to fast track the acquisition of six fully operational aircraft. The Ghost Bat has a range of more than 3,700 kilometres, and was designed to work in tandem with other piloted aircraft. For instance, it can be deployed to protect and support traditional military assets, such as F-35 fighter jets, in contested environments. Marcus Hellyer, head of research at defence think tank Strategic Analysis Australia, said having uncrewed aircraft such as Ghost Bats surrounding expensive jets would be beneficial. "I'm quite open to options like Ghost Bat, because when you look at F-35s, they cost US$150 million a pop," he told the ABC. "So anything we can do to generate a force multiplier effect is a good thing." The government has described the drone as among its "low-cost, expendable" systems. But Dr Hellyer flagged that Ghost Bats were still on the more expensive side compared to the cheap, mass-produced drones used in other conflicts. A Ghost Bat reportedly costs between $12 million and $15 million per unit. "So, we're not exactly talking the kind of mass-producible stuff that we are seeing in Ukraine and the Middle East," he said. An AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile launched from an MQ-28A Ghost Bat during a trial. ( Supplied: Department of Defence ) The Ghost Bat can perform intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions, electronic warfare and strike operations. It was designed to carry a range of payloads, which can be swapped out through its reconfigurable nose depending on the mission. MQ-4C Triton drone will be used to track unauthorised maritime arrivals in Australia's north. ( Supplied ) Overall, about $8 billion will be allocated to uncrewed air systems. The MQ-4C Triton is among the other remotely-piloted aircraft Australia is investing in. Developed by the US, the Triton is also a larger drone, with a range of about 15,000km. "The endurance of the Triton means that it can stay airborne for longer than a traditional aircraft where the pilot is inside," according to the Department of Defence. It will be used primarily to support maritime patrol. The extra-large Ghost Shark Resembling a mini submarine, the Ghost Shark is classed as an extra-large autonomous underwater vehicle (XLAUV). But just how extra large the drone is has not been disclosed. The Ghost Shark is an extra-large underwater drone developed in Australia. ( Supplied: Australia Defence Department/Rodney Briathwaite ) Other details, such as its maximum range, speed, and endurance, are also limited. Jennifer Parker, a former naval officer and maritime security expert at the Australian National University National Security College, said the secrecy was intentional. "One of the things you'll find about the Ghost Shark is there is not a lot of information about it," she said. "That is intentionally kept secret behind closed doors, because we don't want our potential adversaries to know everything about its capability, including exactly how many we're getting." A Ghost Shark drone being lowered into the water. ( Supplied: Australian Department of Defence ) Development of the Ghost Shark began in Australia in 2022 for the Royal Australian Navy. Last year, the Defence Department announced it was investing $1.7 billion on a fleet of the underwater drones , without specifying how many would be acquired. The Ghost Shark is capable of intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR) and strike operations. Ms Parker said the IRS capabilities would allow it to track what was happening underwater, and also potentially on land. The Ghost Shark can also carry various payloads in a section of the drone that can be "readily reconfigurable", according to the manufacturer Anduril. "They haven't said what type of weapons, but you can assume it has the capability to deploy torpedoes," Ms Parker said. "So it would have the ability to take out ships and even submarines." The Defence Department is keeping some details about the Ghost Bat capabilities secret. ( Supplied: Australian Department of Defence ) Ms Parker said the drones would be a beneficial addition to the navy. The systems would not replace crewed submarines, but could create a broader range of capabilities to help understand what was happening below the water. "Investing in larger uncrewed underwater systems like Ghost Shark is the right call," Ms Parker said. "They give Australia greater reach and persistence in our maritime approaches without the cost and risk of deploying crewed submarines." About $4.8-$5.8 billion is being dedicated to autonomous and uncrewed undersea warfare capabilities over the next decade. On the smaller end of the spectrum, the navy has been acquiring dozens of Bluebottle uncrewed surface vessels. The fleets are used for surface and sub-surface surveillance over extended periods of time, but can also carry payloads. The Bluebottle is powered by the sun, wind and waves, and can cover long distances. The Bluebottle uncrewed surface vessels can remain at sea for extended periods. ( Supplied: Australia Defence Department/Peta Binns ) Drones still 'not the main game' The use of drones by both sides in the war between Ukraine and Russia has reshaped the battlefield. Cheap uncrewed aerial vehicles flood the skies on the frontlines and are used in long-range attacks across cities. Ukraine's constant innovation in drone technology has given its military an edge, dealing major blows to Russia's army. Iran has also been launching low-cost attack drones in large volumes, evading the US and Israel's sophisticated air defences across the Middle East . University of New South Wales senior lecturer in aviation Oleksandra Molloy, an expert in drone warfare, said the government's drone announcements indicated a "necessary and positive shift". But she hoped there would be more focus on building up Australia's smaller drone fleets. "I want to see the balance between the systems," Dr Molloy told ABC Radio Sydney. "So far, we do see investment into the large and exquisite systems like Ghost Bat and Ghost Shark, which are absolutely important. "But after four years into the war in Ukraine, we see that not necessarily the expensive systems, but more mass, speed, and adaptability of larger and smaller cheaper drones of various types really make a difference." Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said with drone numbers, the "key thing is to get the balance right". "The key thing is to develop the industrial capability in the country to produce them and to have a rapid turnaround cycle," he said in an interview with Sky News. "We don't want to order hundreds and thousands of drones that then just sit on shelves." Iran is believed to have stockpiled thousands of small, cheap combat drones it has used to wreak havoc across the Middle East. ( AP: Iranian Army ) Dr Hellyer pointed to the investment, saying the amount dedicated to boosting Australia's drone capabilities was minimal compared to other projects. "You get the sense it's not the main game," he said. "It's still sort of small change that's left down the back of the couch after we've paid this year's instalment on the AUKUS nuclear-powered submarines or the Hunter Class Frigates." He said he did not believe the Australian Defence Force should be replacing conventional military power with drones, but there needed to be a more balanced distribution of defence spending. "Those traditional crude systems are still relevant, they're still important, but in order for them to do their jobs and to survive, they need to be surrounded by a constellation of uncrewed autonomous systems," Dr Hellyer said. "You need those autonomous systems at scale."