Australia Enters the Drone Warfare Era with Ghost Bat and Ghost Shark

By Annika Burgess

Topic: Defence Industry

Australia has a new drone called the Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat fighter drone.

Australia wants to keep up with how drones are changing modern warfare.

Defence Minister Richard Marles said drones can give a big advantage in war.

Autonomous systems are now a big part of war.

The government will spend $12-15 billion on drones over the next decade.

This is $2-5 billion more than planned in the 2024 National Defence Strategy.

The Ghost Bat and Ghost Shark programs are important for Australia's drone plans.

About $2.2-3.1 billion will go to smaller drones.

This article looks at the big drone technology and if Australia is doing the right thing.

The Ghost Bat is a drone made for flying.

The Ghost Bat was first shown in 2019 as the Loyal Wingman.

The name Ghost Bat was chosen because it is an Australian animal that works in teams.

The Ghost Bat was made by Boeing for the Royal Australian Air Force.

The Ghost Bat is the first Australian-made military plane in over 50 years.

The Ghost Bat is 11.7m long, 7.3m wide, and can fly 3,700km.

The Ghost Bat project has cost about $2.3 billion since 2019.

The Ghost Bat can work with other planes to protect them.

The Ghost Bat can help expensive planes like the F-35.

An expert said having drones like the Ghost Bat is a good idea.

The Ghost Bat is not very cheap, but it is a good idea.

The government says the Ghost Bat is a low-cost drone.

But the Ghost Bat is still expensive compared to other drones.

A Ghost Bat costs between $12-15 million.

The Ghost Bat can do many things like surveillance and striking.

The Ghost Bat can carry different payloads.

The MQ-4C Triton drone will help track boats in Australia's north.

About $8 billion will go to uncrewed air systems.

The MQ-4C Triton is another big drone Australia is buying.

The Triton can fly for a long time and stay in the air longer than a normal plane.

The Triton will be used for maritime patrol.

The Ghost Shark is a big underwater drone.

The Ghost Shark is like a mini submarine.

Not much is known about the Ghost Shark.

The Ghost Shark is an Australian-made underwater drone.

The Ghost Shark's details are secret.

An expert said the secrecy is on purpose.

The Ghost Shark's development started in 2022.

The Ghost Shark will work with the AUKUS alliance.

The government is spending $1.7 billion on the Ghost Shark.

The Ghost Shark can do surveillance and striking.

The Ghost Shark can track things underwater and on land.

The Ghost Shark can carry different payloads.

The Ghost Shark can deploy torpedoes.

The Ghost Shark will help the navy.

The Ghost Shark will not replace crewed submarines.

About $4.8-5.8 billion will go to underwater drones.

The navy is also buying small drones called Bluebottle.

The Bluebottle drones can stay at sea for a long time.

The Bluebottle drones are powered by the sun, wind, and waves.

Drones are not the main focus yet.

The war in Ukraine has shown how drones can change war.

Drones are being used more and more in conflicts.

Cheap drones are being used in big numbers.

Ukraine has used drones to attack Russia.

Iran has also used drones to attack its enemies.

An expert said Australia's drone plans are a good start.

But the expert wants to see more focus on small drones.

The government needs to find a balance between big and small drones.

The key is to make drones quickly and have a good turnaround.

Iran has many small drones that it uses to attack.

An expert said the money for drones is not enough.

The cost of other defence projects is much bigger.

The expert does not think drones should replace traditional military power.

But drones are needed to help traditional military power.

Autonomous systems are needed at scale.

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