BAE Systems Australia Live Fire of Vantage Turret Boosts Credibility of ATLAS CCV Unmanned Vehicle.

According to information published by BAE Systems Australia on June 6, 2025, the company has completed a key phase in the development of its unmanned ground vehicle program, ATLAS CCV (Collaborative Combat Variant), by conducting live fire trials of the new VANTAGE ATS automated turret system. The tests, held in Slovenia on a Patria AMV armored platform operated by the Slovenian Armed Forces, confirmed the accuracy and reliability of the system, achieving tight shot groupings at distances up to 750 meters. These results mark the conclusion of the Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT), which ended in May 2025, and clear the way for further dynamic testing phases to be conducted in Australia with the turret fully integrated on the ATLAS CCV platform.
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At the heart of its weapon system lies the VANTAGE ATS turret, jointly developed with Valhalla Turrets in Slovenia (Picture source: Bae Systems)

Developed by BAE Systems Australia, the ATLAS CCV is a next-generation 8x8 modular unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) designed to carry out high-risk operations in support of manned platforms on the battlefield. With a focus on autonomous combat capabilities, it operates using a mature autonomy framework that enables advanced navigation, real-time decision-making, obstacle avoidance, and independent tactical maneuvering. The system is equipped with a secure command and control interface and an advanced sensor suite, which together ensure interoperability with both autonomous and manned systems across the battlespace. Its transportability in standard ISO containers or via tactical airlift aircraft provides operational flexibility for rapid deployment in austere environments.

At the heart of its weapon system lies the VANTAGE ATS turret, jointly developed with Valhalla Turrets in Slovenia. Designed specifically for use on autonomous platforms, the turret is armed with a 25mm M242 Bushmaster chain gun in dual-feed configuration, offering a selectable ammunition capability and an effective engagement range of up to 2,500 meters. It features 260 ready-to-fire rounds and is mounted on a stabilized firing platform that enables precision fire during movement. The system retains a human-in-the-loop firing protocol, allowing for supervised target engagement in compliance with current international rules of engagement and ethical considerations.

In addition to kinetic operations, the VANTAGE ATS is engineered to support multiple armament configurations, including integration with 120mm mortars for indirect fire roles and payloads for counter-drone operations. Its embedded ATTCS (Automated Target Tracking and Classification System) provides multispectral detection and tracking functionalities, enabling automatic target identification and classification while minimizing operator cognitive load and system signature. This enhances survivability and mission efficiency in high-threat environments.

First unveiled at the Land Forces 2024 defense exhibition, the ATLAS CCV was conceived for what military doctrine defines as “dirty, dangerous, and dull” missions, tasks traditionally requiring crewed armored platforms. These include battlefield reconnaissance, direct fire support, obstacle breaching, and very short-range air defense (VSHORAD). With a combat weight of approximately 10 metric tons, reinforced suspension for all-terrain mobility, and a fully modular payload architecture, the platform can adapt to a wide range of operational roles while maintaining high tactical agility.

The ATLAS CCV program is part of a broader trend toward modernization and roboticization of ground forces, aiming to reduce soldier exposure, leverage emerging technologies, and optimize existing capabilities. BAE Systems Australia is positioning the platform as a core component of future autonomous force structures, aligned with joint all-domain operations and increasingly digitized battlespaces. The integration of the VANTAGE ATS turret represents a major technical achievement in this evolution, highlighting progress in lethal autonomous weapon systems (LAWS) while ensuring ethical oversight through human supervisory control.