Land Forces 2026: BAE Systems positions ATLAS UGV variants for Australia's Project Land 156

BAE Systems displayed scale-model variants of its ATLAS UGV at the 2026 Land Forces exhibition in Australia, two years after unveiling the platform. (Andrew White)

BAE Systems presented a series of counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) concepts for its ATLAS (Autonomous Tactical Light Armour System) 8×8 unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) at the 2026 Land Forces exhibition held in Perth, Australia, from 6 to 8 October.

A BAE Systems official told Janes the ATLAS variants could be pitched for the Australian Defence Force's (ADF's) Project Land 156.

The AUD1.3 billion initiative, led by systems integration partner Leidos Australia, spans the next decade and will focus on meeting current and future operational requirements of the ADF and in particular, the Australian Army.

Leidos was unavailable to comment on the record regarding the current status of the programme.

The ATLAS UGV measures 5.6 m in length and 1.9 m in width, with a gross vehicle weight ranging from 7 to 13 tonnes depending on the mission payload integrated onboard.

BAE Systems confirmed that the vehicle can operate autonomously both on and offroad, complementing crewed platforms such as infantry fighting vehicles and main battle tanks.

Models exhibited at the Land Forces exhibition included a pair of ATLAS UGVs featuring BAE Systems' 25 mm Vantage turret, developed in collaboration with Canadian firm TerraSense Analytics.

According to official documents, Vantage has been designed as a low-profile system to minimise vehicle exposure and “contain overall dimensions”. It is optimised for both manned and unmanned platforms and carries 260 ready-use rounds for the M242 Bushmaster cannon, the documents said.