Thales Australia tackles heavy battlefield logistics with new big-rig robot

PERTH, Australia — Imagine an unmanned ground vehicle large enough to cart a 20-foot container around the battlefield, as well as possessing sufficient power to run a radar or launch a barrage of missiles.

Thales Australia says it has built just such a robot.

The company unveiled its BladeHaul extra-large, heavy-duty UGV on Oct. 6, the opening day of the Land Forces 2026 exhibition being held in Perth, Western Australia.

Looking something akin to an aircraft tug, the BladeHaul relies on the chassis and driveline of Thales Australia’s popular Bushmaster 4x4 protected mobility vehicle that is in widespread Australian Army use.

According to its designer, this uncrewed vehicle “is engineered to outperform all existing and planned counterparts in payload capacity and operational flexibility.”

Official specs list a payload capacity of 10-plus tons for this cargo UGV, and a driving range comparable to that of the Bushmaster’s 600-plus kilometers.

The Bushmaster’s original mechanicals have been replaced by a hybrid energy and battery storage solution from 3ME Technology, Thales Australia’s partner in the effort.

3ME Technology has extensive experience in the mining sector, and it previously developed a hybrid-engined Bushmaster vehicle.

Thales Australia and 3ME Technologies unveiled the BladeHaul UGV at Land Forces 2026 in Perth, Western Australia, in October. (Gordon Arthur)

For the BladeHaul the company has assembled a 660V power system that offers 110kWh of power.

Justin Bain, CEO of 3ME Technology, said: “Working with Thales Australia brings together the best of Australian innovation, combining 3ME Technology’s systems engineering and platform development capabilities with the Bushmaster’s proven performance and established manufacturing base. Together we’re delivering an entirely new XL-UGV at a time when demand for contested logistics and remote power solutions for littoral environments is present and growing.”

Thales Australia envisages three potential use cases for the BladeHaul: as a cargo mover in zones of contested logistics; as a mobile and enduring power source for other equipment; and as a highly mobile platform for sensors and effectors.

The vehicle could therefore find utility in tasks such as carrying coastal anti-ship missiles, as a counter-drone system, mounting an air surveillance radar, reloading munitions or detecting mines. For the latter mission, it could have a mine plow or rollers mounted on the front.

The manufacturer says the vehicle’s applications are limited only by the imagination of the user. For example, it could carry containerized missile systems or launch drone swarms, one official told Defense News.

Alternatively, it could generate and supply power for a field hospital, a command post or simply act as a standalone generator. It offers a 1MW of power. To put that in perspective, 1MW could simultaneously power 1,000 homes.

To add to its versatility, the BladeHaul 4x4 UGV can fit in transport aircraft like the C-130 and A400M.

The BladeHaul is not yet ready for action, however. Work on the project began 18 months ago, with progress really accelerating over the past six months, but it does not yet have a working autonomy system.

Thales Australia signed a memorandum of understanding with Deakin University at Land Forces 2026 to develop its autonomy suite. This will build upon the suite used on the smaller Guardian Angel UGV unveiled by Thales earlier this year. It will be capable of remote, fully autonomous or follow-me operations, for example.

Thales Australia said in a statement: “By integrating advanced autonomy that enables human-machine teaming, hybrid technology, heavy payload capacity and power generation within a single platform, Thales Australia and 3ME Technology are delivering a next-generation solution that enhances operational readiness and supports Australia’s commitment to sovereign defense innovation.”

The BladeHaul is aimed at the Australian Army, but its appeal extends to any land force, according to the manufacturer.

The vehicle has no V-shaped hull to protect against underbody blasts, as there is no crew aboard. However, ballistic protection could be added to it depending on the function.

Bain said there is interest in a UGV version able to carry a 40-foot container too. “If there’s sufficient demand, we may look at that.”

Gordon Arthur is an Asia correspondent for Defense News. After a 20-year stint working in Hong Kong, he now resides in New Zealand. He has attended military exercises and defense exhibitions in about 20 countries around the Asia-Pacific region.

澳大利亚珀斯——想象一下，一辆无人地面车辆足够大，可以把一个 20 英尺的集装箱运到战场上，并且拥有足够的动力来运行雷达或发射一连串导弹。

泰雷兹澳大利亚公司表示，他们已经制造出了这样一款机器人。

该公司于 10 月 6 日，即在西澳大利亚珀斯举行的 2026 年陆军展览会开幕当天，推出了其 BladeHaul 超大型重型无人地面车辆。

BladeHaul 的外观有点像飞机牵引车，它采用了泰雷兹澳大利亚公司广受欢迎的 Bushmaster 4x4 防护型机动车辆的底盘和传动系统，该车辆在澳大利亚军队中得到广泛应用。

据其设计者称，这款无人驾驶车辆“在有效载荷能力和操作灵活性方面，其性能将超过所有现有和计划中的同类产品”。

官方规格显示，这款货运无人地面车辆的有效载荷能力超过 10 吨，行驶里程与 Bushmaster 的 600 多公里相当。

Bushmaster 的原有机械装置已被 3ME Technology 提供的混合能源和电池存储解决方案所取代，3ME Technology 是 Thales Australia 在该项目中的合作伙伴。

3ME Technology 在采矿领域拥有丰富的经验，此前曾开发过混合动力 Bushmaster 车辆。

泰雷兹澳大利亚公司和3ME科技公司于10月在西澳大利亚珀斯举行的2026年陆军装备展上发布了BladeHaul无人地面车辆。（戈登·阿瑟摄）

该公司为 BladeHaul 组装了一个 660V 电源系统，可提供 110kWh 的电力。

3ME Technology首席执行官贾斯汀·贝恩表示：“与泰雷兹澳大利亚公司的合作汇聚了澳大利亚最优秀的创新力量，将3ME Technology的系统工程和平台开发能力与Bushmaster久经考验的性能和成熟的制造基地相结合。在当前沿海地区对作战后勤和远程供电解决方案的需求日益增长之际，我们携手打造了一款全新的超大型无人地面车辆（XL-UGV）。”

泰雷兹澳大利亚公司设想 BladeHaul 的三种潜在用途：在物流竞争激烈的地区作为货物运输工具；作为其他设备的移动持久电源；以及作为传感器和执行器的高度移动平台。

因此，该车辆可用于多种任务，例如运载岸基反舰导弹、作为反无人机系统、搭载空中监视雷达、重新装填弹药或探测水雷。对于探测水雷的任务，车辆前端可以安装扫雷犁或滚轮。

制造商表示，该车辆的应用范围仅受用户想象力的限制。例如，一位官员告诉《防务新闻》，它可以运载集装箱式导弹系统或发射无人机群。

此外，它还可以为野战医院、指挥所供电，或者作为独立发电机使用。它的发电量为1兆瓦。换句话说，1兆瓦的电力可以同时为1000户家庭供电。

为了增加其多功能性，BladeHaul 4x4 UGV 可以装入 C-130 和 A400M 等运输机中。

BladeHaul目前尚未准备就绪。该项目于18个月前启动，并在过去六个月中取得了显著进展，但其自主系统仍未投入使用。

在2026年陆军军演期间，泰雷兹澳大利亚公司与迪肯大学签署了一份谅解备忘录，共同开发其自主系统套件。该套件将基于泰雷兹今年早些时候发布的小型无人地面车辆“守护天使”（Guardian Angel）所使用的套件。例如，它将能够执行远程、完全自主或跟随等操作。

泰雷兹澳大利亚公司在一份声明中表示：“通过将先进的自主技术（可实现人机协作）、混合动力技术、强大的有效载荷能力和发电功能集成到一个单一平台上，泰雷兹澳大利亚公司和3ME Technology公司正在提供一种下一代解决方案，该方案增强了作战准备能力，并支持澳大利亚对自主国防创新的承诺。”

BladeHaul 的目标用户是澳大利亚陆军，但据制造商称，它对任何陆军部队都具有吸引力。

由于车上没有乘员，因此该车辆没有V型车体来抵御底部爆炸冲击。但是，根据具体用途，可以为其加装弹道防护装置。

贝恩表示，也有人对能够运载40英尺集装箱的无人地面车辆版本感兴趣。“如果需求足够大，我们可能会考虑开发这种版本。”

戈登·阿瑟是《防务新闻》的亚洲特派记者。在香港工作20年后，他现居新西兰。他曾到访亚太地区约20个国家，参加过军事演习和防务展览。