The first "Ghost Shark" underwater attack drone belonging to the Royal Australian Navy will enter service in January Rodney Braithwaite

Australia said Wednesday it will deploy a US$1.1 billion fleet of "Ghost Shark" underwater attack drones to bolster its firepower in a "threatening" regional landscape.

The Royal Australian Navy will arm itself with dozens of the home-developed, cutting-edge autonomous drones, with the first entering service in January, it said.

Australia is in the midst of a major military restructure, equipping its navy with long-range strike capabilities in an effort to balance China's expanding military might in the Pacific.

The government said it had signed a Aus$1.7 billion (US$1.1 billion) five-year contract with Anduril Australia to build, maintain and develo

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