Anduril manufactures XL AUVs for the U.S. Navy
Transporting large payloads over long distances underwater is of strategic importance to the United States. For this reason, the Defence Innovation Unit (DIU) and the U.S. Navy have selected Anduril to fill an existing operational gap below the water’s surface as part of the Combat Autonomous Maritime Platform Project (CAMP), a U.S. Department of Defence initiative for the rapid prototyping and deployment of extra-large autonomous underwater vehicles (XL-AUVs).
Anduril was selected following a competitive Commercial Solutions Opening by the DIU. The company had previously successfully completed the longest XL-AUV demonstration to date, validating performance over long ranges and system endurance under mission-relevant conditions. To date, Anduril’s autonomous underwater vehicles have travelled over 42,355 kilometres and completed 6,752 hours of mission time. This demonstrates the maturity and reliability of the UUVs – critical factors for distributed maritime operations.
As part of CAMP, Anduril will conduct a long-term demonstration of the Dive-XL under operational conditions within four months of the contract being awarded. Anduril already operates several Dive-XL vehicles in the United States. CAMP represents a significant step forward for the U.S. Navy. It enables the testing of XL AUVs on a relevant scale and paves the way for widespread adoption and operational deployment.
A look at Anduril’s track record
Anduril’s ability to deliver Dive-XL is based on a track record in Australia and the United States. In 2025, Anduril won a programme contract from the Royal Australian Navy for Ghost Shark, an extra-large autonomous underwater vehicle, and created a dedicated production facility in a timeframe that traditional programmes could not match. This work demonstrated that Anduril’s approach reduces risk and accelerates delivery. Today, Anduril manufactures Dive-XLs in Sydney, Australia, and has a purpose-built facility in Quonset Point, Rhode Island, designed to produce dozens of Dive-XLs and hundreds of Dive-LDs per year.
Long-range autonomous underwater systems have the potential to extend the reach of the United States and its allies, keep risks at a distance, and operate continuously in contested environments. Control of the underwater domain underpins control of the sea itself, and Dive-XL marks the transition from concept to reality.
The development and deployment of XL AUVs such as the Dive-XL demonstrate that the requirements for long-term autonomy, high payload capacities and operation in complex environments are critical not only for air and ground platforms, but also for underwater systems.
This opens up new areas of research and development for technologies that are also used in the air and land drone industry, such as advanced navigation systems, power supply solutions and autonomous decision-making.
Furthermore, rapid prototyping and procurement by the DIU and the U.S. Navy in collaboration with a private company such as Anduril demonstrates a model that could also be groundbreaking for other segments of the drone industry. It highlights the growing role of private actors in providing key military technologies and the need to establish agile development processes to meet rapidly changing operational requirements. The advances in underwater autonomy described here can serve as a blueprint for innovation across the entire unmanned systems landscape.
Anduril on the internet: https://www.anduril.com
Photo: Anduril
