The UK Ministry of Defence has announced “Project Atilla,” a programme aimed at transforming decommissioned MCV-80 Warrior infantry fighting vehicles into autonomous mine-clearing systems. Revealed on August 21, the project seeks to repurpose out-of-service vehicles rather than scrapping them, providing the army with a low-cost and expendable engineering capability.
The project builds on the Weevil prototype, developed jointly by DSTL (Defence Science and Technology Laboratory) and Pearson Engineering. The prototype involved removing the Warrior’s turret, fitting a full-width mine plough, and integrating a remote-control kit. Trials showed that a single operator could manage the vehicle from several kilometres away, successfully creating safe passageways.
Two-Stage Conversion Plan
The programme follows a two-phase roadmap:
- Phase One: Six Warriors will be converted to operate optionally crewed or unmanned, fitted with mine ploughs or rollers as front-mounted engineering tools.
- Phase Two: The systems will transition from remote control to full autonomy, while refining doctrinal and technical requirements.
A key milestone for Phase One is that all six vehicles must successfully demonstrate the ability to open safe lanes.
Budget and Tender Timeline
The project has been allocated £12 million (excluding VAT), £15 million (including VAT). The contract is set to begin on January 1, 2026, running until March 31, 2028, with a one-year extension option. The bidding process opens on September 1, 2025, closes on September 26, and the winning bidder is expected to be announced on November 18, 2025.
Legacy of the Warrior
Introduced in 1987, the Warrior carried a three-person crew and up to seven infantry soldiers, serving for decades as a backbone of the British Army. Weighing 25 tonnes and powered by a 550-horsepower Condor diesel engine, it could reach speeds of up to 75 km/h. However, costly upgrade programmes were cancelled, and the Warrior has gradually been replaced by the Boxer and Ajax platforms.
In the summer of 2025, the Ministry of Defence stated that sending hundreds of surplus Warriors to Ukraine would be logistically challenging, and announced efforts to find alternative uses for them. Project Atilla has since emerged as the most concrete outcome of that decision.
Global Trend
The UK’s move aligns with a wider international trend of repurposing heavy armoured vehicles as autonomous platforms. Japan is considering arming its Type 89 vehicles with Switchblade 600 loitering munitions; Russia has converted BMP-3s with the Sinitsa remote-control module; the US tested Textron’s Ripsaw M5 prototype; and Finland has remotely operated the Patria AMV XP via a 5G network.
These developments underline the growing role of heavy ground vehicles not only as manned systems but also as autonomous assets on the future battlefield.
