US Navy picks Anduril for XL-AUV program

March 13, 2026, by Fatima Bahtić

The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and the US Navy have selected defense technology firm Anduril Industries to help advance the development of extra-large autonomous underwater vehicles (XL-AUVs).

The selection comes under the Combat Autonomous Maritime Platform (CAMP) initiative, a US Department of Defense program designed to rapidly prototype and field large autonomous maritime systems capable of carrying substantial payloads over long distances without a crew. The effort aims to address what officials describe as a persistent operational gap in undersea logistics and long-range autonomous operations.

According to Anduril, the company secured the opportunity through DIU’s competitive Commercial Solutions Opening process after demonstrating what it described as the longest XL-AUV mission conducted to date. The test validated the endurance and range of its undersea platforms in operationally representative conditions.

Anduril said its autonomous underwater vehicles have collectively logged more than 42,000 kilometers of travel and over 6,700 mission hours, data the company says demonstrates the reliability required for distributed maritime operations.

Under the CAMP program, Anduril will conduct a long-duration demonstration of its Dive-XL platform within four months of contract award. The vehicle is designed as an extra-large autonomous submarine capable of operating for extended periods while carrying large payloads across significant distances.

For the US Navy, the program is expected to enable experimentation with autonomous undersea vehicles at a much larger scale than previous efforts. Officials view the project as a pathway toward broader operational adoption of XL-AUVs as part of future distributed maritime operations.

Anduril’s selection also reflects the growing role of non-traditional defense contractors in rapidly developing advanced autonomous systems. The company previously secured a major program with the Royal Australian Navy in 2025 to deliver the Ghost Shark extra-large autonomous undersea vehicle, alongside the construction of a dedicated production facility.

Anduril opens Ghost Shark manufacturing facility in Sydney

UUV/UAV

Anduril currently manufactures its Dive-XL systems in Sydney, Australia, while also operating a purpose-built production facility in Quonset Point, Rhode Island, capable of producing dozens of extra-large vehicles annually as well as hundreds of smaller Dive-LD platforms.

As the Navy and DIU accelerate experimentation with these platforms, programs such as CAMP are expected to play a central role in shaping how autonomous systems are integrated into future undersea warfare and maritime security operations.