Australia Tests ATLAS Autonomous Driving System on Boxer 8x8 Armored Vehicle.

BAE Systems Australia confirmed on February 17, 2026, that it has successfully tested its ATLAS autonomous driving system on a Boxer 8x8 armored vehicle, as shown in footage released on the company’s official X account. The trial signals tangible progress in Australia’s push to field a sovereign, modular, uncrewed ground capability aligned with operations of main battle tanks and combat reconnaissance vehicles.

BAE Systems Australia has successfully demonstrated its ATLAS autonomous driving system installed on a Boxer 8x8 armored vehicle, according to a video released February 17, 2026, on the company’s official X account. The footage shows the vehicle maneuvering autonomously in a configuration tailored to support operations of main battle tanks and combat reconnaissance vehicles, highlighting its integration with frontline armored formations. The test represents a concrete step in advancing Australia’s next-generation modular autonomous land capability. It builds directly on the formal unveiling of the ATLAS platform in September 2024, reinforcing Canberra’s stated ambition to strengthen sovereign uncrewed ground vehicle development.
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Boxer 8x8 armored vehicle equipped with the ATLAS autonomous driving system, is undergoing mobility trials during BAE Systems Australia testing, demonstrating driverless maneuver capability in support of future crewed and uncrewed armored operations. (Picture source: BAE Systems Australia)

The demonstration was conducted on the Boxer 8x8 armored vehicle, which is currently being introduced into service with the Australian Army under the LAND 400 Phase 2 program. As Australia’s new Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle, Boxer combines high levels of ballistic and blast protection with advanced digital architecture and mobility performance exceeding 100 km per hour on road. Integrating ATLAS autonomy onto such a platform demonstrates that the system is being engineered not only for light robotic carriers but for heavy armored formations operating in contested environments.

The February 17 video validates the maturity of the autonomy stack at the core of ATLAS. According to BAE Systems, the system is designed to drive the vehicle, avoid obstacles, plan routes, and support tactical decision-making. Rather than relying on a simple remote control, ATLAS incorporates high levels of on and off-road autonomy, enabling supervised or semi-autonomous missions that reduce crew exposure to threats such as anti-tank guided missiles, loitering munitions, and indirect fire.

The recent driving test builds on the September 2024 unveiling in Melbourne of the Autonomous Tactical Light Armour System Collaborative Combat Variant (ATLAS CCV). At that time, BAE Systems Australia introduced ATLAS CCV as a cost-effective, modular 8x8 uncrewed ground vehicle developed using its expertise in autonomous technology and armored vehicle design, in collaboration with Supacat in the UK and Australia, Valhalla Turrets in Slovenia, and Victorian manufacturer Marand. The company described ATLAS CCV as the first UGV of its kind developed in Australia, underscoring a sovereign industrial capability aligned with Canberra’s defense industrial strategy.

ATLAS CCV was conceived for a future battlefield environment characterized by a mix of autonomous, semi-autonomous, and human-machine teams generating combat mass while removing soldiers from the most dangerous tasks. Andrew Gresham, Managing Director, Defence Delivery, at BAE Systems Australia, stated during the unveiling that the vehicle was developed to perform the dull, dirty, and dangerous missions expected in combat. He emphasized that ATLAS would help the Australian Army operate effectively in the littoral environment, enhancing maneuver, survivability, and decision advantage against conventional and unconventional threats.

Technically, ATLAS CCV is designed to complement crewed platforms such as infantry fighting vehicles and main battle tanks at a lower cost. The vehicle incorporates proven subsystems to ensure affordability and upgradeability, allowing mission reconfiguration as threats evolve. Of particular significance is its integration of the VANTAGE ATS turret, a lightweight, highly automated medium caliber turret system designed specifically for uncrewed platforms. The turret incorporates a human-in-the-loop targeting architecture, ensuring that while mobility and navigation may be autonomous, lethal force decisions remain under operator control.

The ATLAS CCV platform is engineered for strategic and operational mobility. It can be transported in a standard 20-foot ISO container or on a flat rack, enabling rapid deployment across Australia’s vast distances or into expeditionary theaters. BAE Systems also highlighted the system’s potential logistics multiplier effect, with autonomous variants capable of resupplying or extending the combat endurance of crewed vehicles currently in service.

The February 2026 autonomous driving trial on Boxer suggests that the ATLAS autonomy core is modular and scalable across multiple vehicle classes. This flexibility is strategically important. In high-intensity conflict scenarios, autonomous 8x8 systems could accompany armored spearheads, conduct reconnaissance in high-risk corridors, or provide additional firepower and resupply capacity without increasing the vulnerability of crewed vehicles.

For Army Recognition readers, the convergence of the September 2024 ATLAS CCV unveiling and the February 17 Boxer autonomy test illustrates a coherent industrial and operational trajectory. Australia is not merely experimenting with robotic prototypes but is incrementally validating autonomous technologies on frontline armored platforms already entering service. As allied armies, including the United States, accelerate their human-machine integration programs, ATLAS's evolution positions Australia as a credible contributor to next-generation mechanized warfare concepts.

By linking sovereign industrial partnerships, advanced autonomy software, and armed uncrewed platforms, BAE Systems Australia is shaping a land combat ecosystem where crewed and uncrewed vehicles operate in coordinated formations. The successful Boxer 8x8 test confirms that ATLAS is transitioning from unveiled concept to field-validated capability, with implications that extend well beyond Australia’s borders.

Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.