Thales Australia has designed, built and successfully completed a live-fire test of its newest autonomous innovation, the Guardian Angel – an 8×4 UGV prototype at the company’s Lithgow site in regional NSW. Adapted from a development UGV and delivered through a partnership with some of Australia’s most forward-leaning defence and technology organisations, the project showcases Thales Australia’s sovereign industrial strength, ability to meet the nation’s defence and security needs, and capacity to deliver and manufacture autonomous systems and solutions.
The Guardian Angel highlights both the technical expertise of Thales’ engineering teams and the manufacturing capabilities of the Lithgow precinct. The prototype and capability test paves the way for future UGV platforms and variants. The UGV was developed in partnership with Chaos 1 – an SME specialising in the rapid assessment, prototyping and experimentation of autonomous systems;  and W & E Platt – a leader in the design and manufacture of weapon Mounting Systems; and demonstrates the power of Australian industry working together at pace.
Guardian Angel is named after a role served by Australian soldiers in the middle east who were tasked with protecting Australian forces by watching their backs when they were exposed in dangerous environments. Designed to reduce risk to soldiers, the Guardian Angel can be partnered with Thales’ suite of Protected Mobility Vehicles, including the Bushmaster, StrikeMaster and Hawkei. Operating in concert, these platforms offer enhanced tactical flexibility and expanded mission options for the Australian Defence Force, while placing technology in harm’s way rather than defence personnel.
Engineered for performance and protection, the UGV features:
- Adaptability, with a containerised mission system allowing Medevac, scout, troop support, fire support, and transport variants.
- Payload integration with W & E Platt’s powerful remote weapon system
- A slim design allowing tactical agility
- A secure and resilient communications suite
By leveraging complementary expertise, the cross-industry team delivered a functional, Australian-designed defence capability in just six weeks.
Andrew Downes, VP, Land Thales Australia, said: “Guardian Angel has been built leveraging Thales Australia’s expertise in manufacturing, cutting-edge technology and integration, protected mobility vehicle design and industry partnerships. The Thales team, in partnership with Chaos 1 and W & E Platt, have delivered this UGV in an extremely compressed time-frame, which is a testament to the skill, dedication and expertise of the workforce at Lithgow. UGVs can preserve soldiers by operating in high-risk environments while providing a clear tactical advantage, assisting operations on the battlefield. They offer scalable, agile, cost-effective capability that can increase operational reach without increasing risk to personnel. Thales Australia is proud to continue strengthening sovereign industrial capability in this country.”
Benny Johanson, Founder & CEO Chaos 1, said: “Rapid prototyping in true form – little time, extremely chaotic, and high-risk. In just six weeks we moved from a concept graphic to live-fire demonstration and many said it couldn’t be done. What the Guardian Angel project proved is the sheer horse-power industry can generate for the warfighter at speed, and a bright future for Lithgow.”
Allan Platt, W & E Platt Director, said: “The Guardian Angel project demonstrated that coordinated Australian industry collaboration creates a seamless pipeline from rapid prototyping to sovereign manufacturing to deliver a defence-ready capability. For our team, the project went well beyond integrating a payload onto an uncrewed platform. It was a powerful demonstration that the Australian industry possesses the vision and momentum to meet emerging operational needs with speed, innovation and sovereign control.”
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