The VANTAGE Automated Turret System (ATS) firing accuracy demonstrated excellent performance with tight groupings and successful target engagement out to initial ranges of 750 metres.
Kisa Christensen, Director of Integrated Defence and Autonomy Systems at BAE Systems Australia, said the testing in Slovenia delivered results beyond expectations and opened the way for future trials once re-integrated with ATLAS.
“We’ve come away from this test firing knowing that the VANTAGE ATS fires accurately and performs exceedingly well, demonstrating excellent performance, offering our customers the ability to integrate VANTAGE with a range of crewed and uncrewed platforms, and offering a lower acquisition cost through the adaptive reuse of legacy cannons already in service”, Ms Christensen said.
“Also, we’ve seen the performance of VANTAGE successfully verified during the conduct of the Factory Acceptance Testing period,” she said.
Following its highly publicised global debut at the Land Forces 2024 exhibition, ATLAS CCV is being marketed to armies to perform the high-risk ‘dirty and dangerous’ tasks normally undertaken by manned armoured vehicles such as direct fire support, obstacle clearance, combat reconnaissance and very short-range air defence.
VANTAGE ATS was developed by BAE Systems Australia together with Valhalla Turrets of Slovenia.
The VANTAGE ATS has been optimised for operation on autonomous vehicles, with high levels of automatic operation to mirror the levels of autonomy in advanced platforms such as the ATLAS CCV.
The turret will return from Slovenia to Australia for re-integration with ATLAS CCV to enable further vehicle dynamic testing and sub-system integration, working towards an increased level of automated capability and operation.
Learn more about the VANTAGE ATS
- The VANTAGE ATS is a very low-profile medium calibre turret, designed to be controlled over a wireless link.
- The VANTAGE ATS utilises a 25mm M242 Bushmaster chain gun, enabling adaptive re-use of the in-service cannons from ALSAV and Bradley IFV, with a turret architecture that is scalable to larger calibre systems. This reduces acquisition costs and maximises existing supply chains for ammunition, spares and reduces the training burden.
- The VANTAGE ATS also integrates the BAE Systems Australia, passive Multi-Spectral Automatic Target Detection, Tracking and Classification System (ATTCS), delivering high levels of automated operation, reducing operator cognitive load, enabling one-to-many operation and reducing the probability of detection and the time to target engagement.
- Post 2024 Land Forces exhibition, the VANTAGE ATS returned to Valhalla in Slovenia to complete commissioning and Factory Acceptance Testing, supported by a team of engineers from BAE Systems Australia.
- Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) of VANTAGE was successfully completed in May 2025 in collaboration with Valhalla Turrets of Slovenia.
- Testing took a staged approach, with the culminating activity being a characterisation of VANTAGE live fire capabilities at distances up to 750m.
- VANTAGE was integrated onto a Slovenian Army Patria AMV. The use of this stable firing platform concurrently demonstrated future operational readiness, the platform agnostic design and ease of integration with crewed and uncrewed vehicles.
- The live fire events were supported by the Slovenian Military.
- Performance of VANTAGE sub-systems were successfully verified during the conduct of the Factory Acceptance Testing period.