BAE Systems Australia has successfully test-fired its new VANTAGE Automated Turret System (ATS), demonstrating what the company described as “excellent performance” during recent trials in Slovenia.
According to Kisa Christensen, Director of Integrated Defence and Autonomy Systems at BAE Systems Australia, the tests exceeded initial expectations. “We’ve come away from this test firing knowing that the VANTAGE ATS fires accurately and performs exceedingly well, demonstrating excellent performance,” Christensen said in a statement. She added that the system offers customers flexibility by integrating with a variety of crewed and uncrewed platforms, while leveraging legacy 25mm M242 Bushmaster cannons already in service.
The firing tests saw the VANTAGE ATS engage targets accurately at ranges out to 750 meters. The trials confirmed the system’s precision with tight shot groupings and successful engagements, the company said. The factory acceptance testing was also completed during this phase.
Developed in collaboration with Valhalla Turrets of Slovenia, the turret is designed for autonomous operation and is optimized for integration with advanced uncrewed ground systems such as BAE’s ATLAS Combat Capability Vehicle (CCV). The system features wireless control and a scalable architecture, supporting larger caliber weapons in future configurations.
Following its public debut at the Land Forces 2024 exhibition, the ATLAS CCV is being marketed as a platform capable of performing high-risk tasks—including direct fire support, combat reconnaissance, and very short-range air defense—that would traditionally require manned armored vehicles.
The VANTAGE ATS also integrates BAE Systems Australia’s multi-spectral Automatic Target Detection, Tracking and Classification System (ATTCS). The system is intended to reduce operator workload, improve engagement speed, and allow one operator to control multiple vehicles.
The turret will now return to Australia for re-integration with the ATLAS CCV, where it will undergo dynamic vehicle testing and further subsystem integration. According to BAE Systems, the focus is now on expanding the autonomous capability of the combined system.
The turret’s compatibility with in-service equipment also allows for cost savings and supply chain continuity. Christensen emphasized, “This offers a lower acquisition cost through the adaptive reuse of legacy cannons already in service.”
With this round of testing completed, BAE Systems moves one step closer to fielding an operational autonomous weapons platform for future battlefield scenarios.