Thomas Newdick
BAE Systems has launched its new uncrewed ground vehicle, or UGV, the Autonomous Tactical Light Armor System (ATLAS) Collaborative Combat Variant (CCV), a roughly 11-ton 8×8 vehicle, developed in Australia, and pitched as a “combat wingman” with the potential for a high degree of autonomy. Armed with a powerful 25mm Bushmaster cannon, the vehicle is the latest addition to a growing number of UGVs that are designed to provide more flexibility to ground forces’ commanders, primarily by reducing the risks that personnel are exposed to on the battlefield.
Unveiled at the Land Forces 2024 exposition in Melbourne yesterday by the company’s BAE Systems Australia subsidiary, the ATLAS CCV is described as a “cost-effective, modular, 8×8 UGV.” It’s a design that fits into the manufacturer’s vision of a future battlefield that will “involve a mix of autonomous, semi-autonomous, and human-machine teams, generating combat mass and removing soldiers from many of the most dangerous tasks.”
By adding uncrewed platforms like the ATLAS CCV to ground forces, BAE Systems argues that overall costs will be driven down, with UGVs being cheaper to acquire and operate (not least, since they require a smaller personnel footprint). At the same time, the company envisages the ATLAS CCV as very much an adjunct to crewed platforms like tanks and infantry fighting vehicles.
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