The United States is moving to close a critical gap in its underwater warfare capabilities. The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), in partnership with the U.S. Navy, has selected Anduril Industries to deliver its Dive-XL vehicle under the Combat Autonomous Maritime Platform (CAMP) project. This initiative aims to rapidly prototype and field extra-large autonomous underwater vehicles (XL-AUVs) capable of carrying significant payloads over vast distances.
Anduril’s selection followed a competitive process through the DIU’s Commercial Solutions Opening, bolstered by the company’s record-setting performance. Prior to the award, Anduril successfully completed the longest operational demonstration of an XL-AUV to date, proving the system’s endurance and reliability in realistic conditions. This builds on a foundation of over 42,355 kilometers and 6,752 hours logged by its existing autonomous fleet, demonstrating the maturity required for complex, distributed maritime operations.
Under the CAMP contract, Anduril will execute an extended, operationally relevant demonstration of the Dive-XL within just four months. The program is designed not only for immediate prototyping but also to create a deliberate pathway toward large-scale production and deployment within the Navy’s fleet structure.
Anduril’s ability to deliver on an accelerated timeline is backed by its recent success with the Royal Australian Navy. In 2025, the company secured a program of record for the “Ghost Shark” XL-AUV, simultaneously establishing a dedicated production facility in Sydney. This parallel effort reduced development risk and proved that Anduril’s manufacturing model can outpace traditional defense procurement timelines.
To meet anticipated U.S. demand, Anduril is now producing Dive-XL vehicles in Sydney while simultaneously ramping up operations at a new, purpose-built facility in Quonset Point, Rhode Island. This facility is designed to produce dozens of Dive-XL and hundreds of smaller Dive-LD vehicles annually.
These long-range undersea systems represent a fundamental shift in naval power. By extending the United States’ reach and enabling persistent operations in contested waters, the Dive-XL aims to re-establish dominance beneath the waves—a domain critical to controlling the seas themselves.
