Self-driving tanks for Australia

BAE Systems has delivered 20 autonomous M113A4 troop carriers to the Australian military. This version of the M113A4 can also be controlled directly by the crew when needed.

The M113AS4 is the standard infantry fighting vehicle of the Australian Defense Force and will be replaced in the coming years by a new infantry fighting vehicle under the Project LAND 400 Phase 3 program of the Australian Army.

The M113AS4 is an Australian development of the old M113AS1 and M113AS3, based on the American M113A1 Armored Personnel Carrier (APC), one of the most popular light tracked armored vehicles in the world. The project to upgrade the Australian M113 was led by BAE Systems.

In November 2019, the Australian Army demonstrated a pair of autonomous armored vehicles M113AS4, with which they aim to investigate the impact of robots on the battlefield of the future. Two specially modified armored M113AS4 tracked vehicles conducted battlefield simulations at the Majura training ground in the Australian Capital Territory, in the presence of the Army Chief.

In August 2020, BAE Systems announced the development of autonomous technologies to be integrated into the Australian Army's M113AS4 tracked armored vehicles. This new project followed the retrofit and testing of two armored troop carriers M113 with optional crew last year and two more this year.

The completed M113AS4 vehicles were used to showcase BAE Systems' world-leading autonomous technologies that could have a potentially revolutionary impact on Australian Defense Force operations. The BAE Systems' upgraded M113As4 features manual control, teleoperation, autonomous waypoint navigation, and follow-the-leader capabilities.

The use of autonomous armored vehicles will help soldiers respond in a rapidly evolving war environment. Manufacturers are confident that they will be able to take the initiative faster to overcome conventional and unconventional threats, maneuver, and think.

BAE Systems Australia on the Internet