BAE Systems ATLAS UGV

History

BAE Systems unveiled the ATLAS (Autonomous Tactical Light Armour System) unmanned ground vehicle at the Land Forces exhibition in September 2024. The ATLAS Collaborative Combat Variant (CCV) was subsequently subjected to extensive trials at all levels of autonomy, from teleoperation and waypoint-based navigation to full sense-and-avoid autonomy, as a fully functional prototype demonstrator. BAE Systems announced the successful completion of these autonomy trials in late February 2026. In October 2026, the company displayed scale-model variants of the ATLAS at the Land Forces exhibition in Perth, Australia, held from 6 to 8 October, presenting a series of counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) concepts alongside the platform.

Design

The ATLAS is a modular 8×8 unmanned ground vehicle designed to complement crewed platforms such as infantry fighting vehicles and main battle tanks. BAE Systems confirmed that the vehicle can operate autonomously both on and offroad and is designed to keep pace with tracked and wheeled combat vehicles in difficult terrain and under various weather and environmental conditions. The platform is intended as a combat multiplier that increases combat power while reducing risk to soldiers. It is easily transportable and fits within a 20-foot ISO container or a 20-foot ISO flat-rack. The programme is part of the ongoing development of a next-generation modular autonomous land capability designed to support main battle tank and combat reconnaissance vehicle operations.

Specifications

Key dimensions and weight data for the ATLAS UGV:

• Length: 5.6 m
• Width: 1.9 m
• Gross vehicle weight: 7 to 13 tonnes (depending on mission payload)

The Vantage turret, fitted to the ATLAS CCV in its assault configuration, is a 25 mm system developed in collaboration with Canadian firm TerraSense Analytics. It integrates BAE Systems' passive Multi-Spectral Automatic Target Detection, Tracking and Classification System (ATTCS) and is described by the manufacturer as the first 25 mm turret specifically developed for unmanned ground vehicles. The turret is low-profile, designed to minimise vehicle exposure, and is optimised for both manned and unmanned platforms. It carries 260 ready-use rounds for the M242 Bushmaster cannon, which has a dual ammunition feed system and enables precise engagement at ranges up to 2,500 m, capable of engaging vehicle targets up to armoured personnel carriers.

Variants

• Collaborative Combat Variant (CCV) — the primary prototype demonstrator, configured with multiple payload options including the Vantage turret in the assault configuration.
• C-UAS concepts — a series of counter-unmanned aircraft system configurations presented at Land Forces 2026.

Program Status

A BAE Systems official stated that the ATLAS variants could be pitched for the Australian Defence Force's Project Land 156, an AUD 1.3 billion initiative led by systems integration partner Leidos Australia that spans the next decade and will focus on meeting current and future operational requirements of the ADF, particularly the Australian Army. Leidos was unavailable to comment on the current status of the programme. BAE Systems is currently engaged in marketing and customer engagement activities in international markets.