The United States is addressing a critical vulnerability in its maritime strategy: the need to project power and deliver large payloads silently and stealthily across vast ocean distances. To close this persistent capability gap, the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and the U.S. Navy have officially selected Anduril Industries to lead the charge under the Combat Autonomous Maritime Platform (CAMP) project.
This decision wasn’t made lightly. Anduril secured the contract through the DIU’s rigorous Commercial Solutions Opening process, following a record-breaking demonstration of its Dive-XL vehicle. This prototype run wasn’t just a test; it was a statement, proving the extra-large autonomous underwater vehicle (XL-AUV) could handle the punishing demands of long-range, operationally relevant missions. This success builds on an impressive operational history, with Anduril’s undersea fleet having already logged over 42,355 kilometers and nearly 7,000 hours at sea—tangible proof that these systems are ready for prime time.
The CAMP initiative, a high-priority Department of Defense effort, is designed to rapidly transition this promise into a deployable reality. Anduril is set to complete another long-duration, operationally representative exercise with the Dive-XL within just four months of the contract award. This aggressive timeline underscores the program’s urgency and the maturity of Anduril’s technology.
This rapid advancement isn’t happening in a vacuum. It is fueled by proven success with allied partners, most notably the Royal Australian Navy’s “Ghost Shark” program. By delivering a sophisticated XL-AUV and a dedicated production facility on an unprecedented schedule, Anduril demonstrated that its agile, software-centric approach drastically reduces risk and compresses development timelines.
With dedicated manufacturing hubs now operational in both Sydney, Australia, and a new facility in Quonset Point, Rhode Island, Anduril is poised to produce dozens of Dive-XLs annually. This industrial base is critical for fielding these systems at scale. By extending the Navy’s reach and enabling persistent operations in contested waters, the Dive-XL is not just a new vehicle; it is the vanguard of a fundamental shift in underwater warfare, turning a strategic concept into a commanding reality.
