The automated turret system for BAE Systems Australia’s ATLAS CCV autonomous combat vehicle has been successfully test fired. The VANTAGE Automated Turret System (ATS) firing accuracy demonstrated excellent performance with tight groupings and successful target engagement out to initial ranges of 750 metres.
Kisa Christensen, Director of Integrated Defence and Autonomy Systems at BAE Systems Australia, said the testing in Slovenia delivered results beyond expectations and opened the way for future trials once re-integrated with ATLAS.
“We’ve come away from this test firing knowing that the VANTAGE ATS fires accurately and performs exceedingly well, demonstrating excellent performance, offering our customers the ability to integrate VANTAGE with a range of crewed and uncrewed platforms, and offering a lower acquisition cost through the adaptive reuse of legacy cannons already in service”, Christensen said. “Also, we’ve seen the performance of VANTAGE successfully verified during the conduct of the Factory Acceptance Testing period,” she said.
Following its highly publicised global debut at the Land Forces 2024 exhibition, ATLAS CCV is being marketed to armies to perform the high-risk ‘dirty and dangerous’ tasks normally undertaken by manned armoured vehicles such as direct fire support, obstacle clearance, combat reconnaissance and very short-range air defence.
VANTAGE ATS was developed by BAE Systems Australia together with Valhalla Turrets of Slovenia. The VANTAGE ATS has been optimised for operation on autonomous vehicles, with high levels of automatic operation to mirror the levels of autonomy in advanced platforms such as the ATLAS CCV. The turret will return from Slovenia to Australia for re-integration with ATLAS CCV to enable further vehicle dynamic testing and sub-system integration, working towards an increased level of automated capability and operation.
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With the Army’s ongoing personnel challenges, and the move towards autonomous aided combat forces, the Army could do worse than acquire a small batch of the the ATLAs for trials by the newly re-tasked 1st Armored Regiment.
Such a capability could also provide added firepower, with a lighter footprint than heavier systems, to the Army’s motorised and light infantry to brigades.
Couldn’t agree more.
The question here is how well will it perform against drones. There needs to be a fix. A one stop answer.
Buy drones as well with well equipped Armour and laser beam.
With 25mm IFV, Counter UAV and 120mm Mortar versions and the potential for expanded roles this vehicle is pretty impressive. I remember attending the Land 400 roadshows back in 2005, if Defence are going to faf about this is going to be outdated before we ever see the capability in Army’s inventory which in the current circumstances would be criminal! If you think in 2024, 64,000 people applied for the 300 day circus which is the ADF recruitment cycle and it still left 4,300 positions in the ADF unfulfilled then we are in serious trouble if, heaven forbid, Australia finds itself in conflict. Atlas, GWEO, Ghost Bat, Ghost Shark, Strix, Owl munitions and the like need to be accelerated now, not in 10 plus year’s time. We can only hope that the timeline dictated in SEA 3000 of 2.5 years flows through to the capabilities that we need now, especially regarding Air Defence systems we so sadly lack. Let’s hope!
I agree with all of that. Unfortunately, Defence seems to have forgotten how to pick up the pace of anything, other than placing more FMS orders.