Anduril Industries announced that its Dive-XL, an extra-large autonomous undersea vehicle (XL-AUV), has completed a 100-hour single voyage, marking a significant milestone for unmanned maritime operations. The test, conducted off the coast of California, is part of ongoing endurance trials aimed at proving the platform’s capability for extended, fully submerged missions.
The recent 100-hour test is a precursor to Anduril’s plans to push the Dive-XL further. In early 2025, the vehicle is set to attempt a fully submerged 1,000-nautical-mile (1,150-mile) mission. This milestone, if achieved, will solidify Dive-XL’s position as a leader in autonomous underwater technology and pave the way for future multi-thousand-mile operations.
Dive-XL. Setting the new standard for maritime autonomy. pic.twitter.com/squ05XN7rF
— Anduril Industries (@anduriltech) December 9, 2024
Anduril’s senior vice president for programs and engineering, Shane Arnott, emphasized the importance of the test environment off California’s coastline. “The coast here is kind of like the Grand Canyon of subsea,” Arnott said, noting the complex undersea terrain and varying water salinity that make the region an ideal testing ground.
The Dive-XL is a modular, fully electric UUV designed for extended missions without surfacing. Unlike hybrid uncrewed submarines requiring regular air contact for diesel engines, Dive-XL’s electric powertrain allows it to remain submerged for weeks. This gives commanders operational flexibility in contested environments, enabling covert surveillance, reconnaissance, and strike missions.
A key feature of Dive-XL is its modularity: the vehicle has a customizable middle section that can accommodate up to three smaller payloads or a single large payload, depending on mission requirements. Operators can rapidly integrate or swap out payloads for tasks ranging from intelligence gathering and communications to underwater infrastructure inspections or military operations.
In the United States, Anduril sees growing interest from the Pentagon and the U.S. Navy, particularly as the military explores unmanned solutions to counter rising maritime threats. Anduril Chief Strategy Officer Chris Brose noted that initial enthusiasm for the program came from Australia, but recent successes have begun to shift perceptions in the U.S.
Anduril plans to scale Dive-XL production at its new 100,000-square-foot facility in Quonset Point, Rhode Island. The plant will be capable of producing “dozens” of Dive-XL units annually, addressing anticipated demand from U.S. and allied navies. Arnott emphasized that Dive-XL’s affordability, modularity, and scalability give it a critical edge, particularly as Western militaries seek cost-effective solutions to counter threats in the Indo-Pacific region.
“The problem is about numbers,” Arnott explained. “If we’re going to be effective as the West against what China’s doing, we need this many, and it’s a lot.”
