Australia Announces $1.4Bln Investment In Unmanned Submarines

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 05th May, 2022) Australian Defense Minister Peter Dutton announced on Thursday a national security deal that will see three prototype uncrewed submarines built over the next three years.

It will reportedly cost Australian taxpayers 2 billion Dollars ($1.4 billion) to have the extra large autonomous undersea vehicles (XLAUVs) designed, developed and manufactured by the Defense Department and the local subsidiary of US defense contractor Anduril.

"XLAUVs are cutting-edge uncrewed robotic vessels.

They are a stealthy, multi-role, undersea capability, typically between 10-30 metres (33-98 feet) long, with the capacity to carry various military payloads over long distances," Dutton said in a statement.

The three vessels will serve as the foundation of an XLAUV fleet, he added. They will complement the navy's existing force of submarines and surface ships operating in the Indo-Pacific and be a "disruptive and difficult" problem for enemies in the event of undersea warfare.