AZAK S26 UGV Adds Remote Weapons and Drone Launch Capabilities for Multi-Mission Operations.

AZAK is turning its S26 unmanned ground vehicle into a versatile battlefield platform capable of carrying remote weapon stations and launching drones, a configuration showcased at AUSA 2026 in Washington on October 12–14. By combining modular payloads with a low-profile robotic mobility system, the UGV could move weapons, sensors, drones, supplies, or other mission equipment into contested areas without exposing troops at the deployment point, highlighting a broader shift toward unmanned platforms that can extend combat reach, improve survivability, and rapidly adapt to changing missions.

AZAK showcased its S26 UGV at AUSA 2026 as a modular robotic vehicle designed to carry remote weapons, launch drones, and support multiple battlefield missions (Picture Source: Army Recognition Group)

AZAK used AUSA 2026 to place its S26 unmanned ground vehicle at the center of a broader shift toward modular robotic platforms that can be configured around the mission rather than a single fixed role. During the October 12–14, 2026 exhibition in Washington, D.C., the S26 was presented in connection with Leonardo DRS integration efforts, highlighting a platform capable of accommodating remotely operated firearms and drone-launching payloads alongside other mission systems. The development is significant because it points toward a common unmanned mobility architecture that could support several battlefield functions without requiring a different vehicle for each task. 

At the heart of the S26 is AZAK’s unconventional approach to ground mobility. Instead of relying on a traditional drivetrain concentrated inside a conventional chassis, the company places the motor, battery, controls, braking and steering components within the wheel architecture, with major elements positioned below the wheel’s center point. AZAK says this arrangement creates a low center of gravity while freeing the platform from many of the packaging constraints associated with conventional vehicle designs. The company describes the S26 as highly modular and specifically “built for autonomous integration,” making the mobility system itself the foundation onto which different mission packages can be installed. Previous reporting on U.S. Army evaluations has also identified resupply, casualty evacuation support, counter-UAS payloads and drone-launch systems among the roles being explored for the architecture.

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That modularity is particularly important in the configuration highlighted at AUSA. Rather than defining the exclusively as an armed UGV, AZAK is positioning the S26 as a configurable mission platform capable of hosting different payloads according to operational requirements. These can include remotely operated firearms as well as launch systems for unmanned aircraft, potentially allowing a ground robot to act as a mobile carrier for aerial drones, sensors or other mission equipment. In practical terms, the concept could allow operators to move a payload forward without placing personnel directly at the deployment point. Any integration of weapons should be understood as part of a remotely operated or controlled mission architecture, with employment remaining subject to command authority, applicable rules of engagement and the configuration selected by the operator.

The Leonardo DRS connection strengthens that system-of-systems dimension. The relationship between the companies has already been demonstrated beyond the exhibition floor: during the U.S. Army’s Operation Jailbreak initiative earlier in 2026, AZAK vehicles were integrated with technologies from several defense companies, with Leonardo DRS installing a radar on one of the unmanned platforms. The demonstration connected AZAK mobility, Leonardo DRS sensing, third-party autonomy, networking, command-and-control and a separate remotely operated counter-UAS weapon system. Leonardo DRS subsequently highlighted the exercise as an example of rapidly connecting technologies that were not originally designed as a single system, emphasizing modularity, open standards and platform-agnostic integration.

For NATO forces, that approach could prove more consequential than any individual payload displayed on the S26. European and allied armies are increasingly examining how unmanned systems can support dispersed operations, tactical logistics, reconnaissance, communications, counter-UAS protection and the deployment of other drones while reducing the need to expose personnel in forward areas. A reconfigurable platform could potentially move between these missions by changing its payload rather than replacing the underlying vehicle. It could also provide a pathway for integrating sensors, communications equipment and effectors from different NATO suppliers onto a common robotic mobility layer. Such interoperability would still require testing, common interfaces and military qualification, and the AUSA presentation should not be interpreted as evidence of NATO procurement or operational fielding.

The S26 presented at AUSA 2026 illustrates why the next stage of ground robotics may be defined less by individual unmanned vehicles than by adaptable platforms able to host rapidly changing mission systems. AZAK’s wheel-centric architecture provides the mobility foundation, while collaboration with companies such as Leonardo DRS demonstrates how sensing, command-and-control and other payloads can be brought into a broader unmanned ecosystem. The ability to accommodate remotely operated firearms and drone launchers expands that concept further, potentially turning the S26 from a conventional robotic carrier into a multipurpose node for reconnaissance, force protection, unmanned-aircraft deployment and battlefield support. For NATO forces, the strategic value would lie in that flexibility: a common robotic platform capable of evolving as sensors, drones and mission requirements change, while keeping soldiers farther from some of the most exposed tasks on an increasingly unmanned battlefield.

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Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group

Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.