BAE Systems Australia has today unveiled its new 8×8 uncrewed ground vehicle titled the ATLASTM CVV.
The ATLAS (Autonomous Tactical Light Armour System) CCV (Collaborative Combat Variant) is set to improve workplace safety and efficiency on the battlefield.
It operates autonomously both on and off-road and can drive itself, avoid obstacles, route plan, as well as make tactical decisions.
The vehicle is the “first of its kind” in Australia, according to BAE Systems Defence Delivery managing director Andrew Gresham.
“We’ve developed the ATLAS vehicle to give soldiers the advantage on the modern battlefield,” said Gresham.
“ATLAS will enable the Australian Army to be fit to fight in the littoral environment. It will help the soldier outpace, out-manoeuvre and out-think conventional and unconventional threats.”
The vehicle incorporates existing technologies and is built to complement infantry fighting vehicles and main battle tanks.
Its ability to carry out high-risk military tasks independently makes it not only a brand-new tactical option for military commanders, but also a useful assistant for soldiers.
It is also easily transportable, mission configurable and upgradable, capable of constantly evolving to meet new technologies and threats.
ATLAS could potentially be a first glimpse of what the future battlefield is shaping out to be: A mix of autonomous, semi-autonomous and human machine teams where the burden of dangerous tasks is left to autonomous platforms.
Soldiers putting themselves in harm’s way to perform their duties may eventually become a thing of the past.