The Australian defense technology company has created Avalon, an AI agent that lets one operator direct multiple autonomous systems across air, land, and sea by voice.
Military robots can already fly, drive, sail, detect objects, follow routes, and perform other tasks with limited human input. The harder problem is controlling several machines without assigning a separate operator to each one. Breaker Industries is addressing that problem with software that lets one operator direct multiple autonomous systems while continuing to drive, fly, or fight. Founded in Sydney in 2023, the company now operates from Sydney and Austin, Texas.
Breaker’s main product is Avalon, a software agent that runs onboard robots and sensors. An operator issues an instruction through a push-to-talk radio, and Avalon converts it into tasks for individual platforms. Each agent determines what its platform should do and coordinates its actions with other agents. Avalon does not require a cloud service or a connection back to a command center, allowing the software to continue operating when communications are lost or jammed.
From Radio Commands to Machine Action
Avalon is designed so operators can use autonomous systems without learning another control system. An operator can brief the machines through spoken instructions, mission orders, ATAK, or Lattice, then use the radio already carried in the field to issue commands. Avalon interprets each instruction based on the mission brief and assigns tasks to the relevant platforms. An operator can ask what a platform found, what it is doing, or why it made a particular decision. New operators can begin working with Avalon after about 15 minutes of training.
The software keeps the operator in charge of every mission. Operators set limits and can override any platform at any time. Avalon records decisions and can explain its actions in plain English with reference to the mission brief. The software does not replace navigation, obstacle avoidance, flight control, or other autonomy already installed on a vehicle. Instead, it sends commands to those existing systems through interfaces such as ROS 2, MAVLink, PX4, ArduPilot, and DDS.
One Operator Across Air, Land and Sea
Avalon can operate across different types of autonomous systems rather than requiring separate control software for each platform. The software can work with quadcopters, fixed-wing aircraft, ground robots, crewed vehicles, unmanned surface vessels, cameras, and sensor masts. A drone can conduct reconnaissance, a ground vehicle can use its own navigation software, and an unmanned vessel can retain its existing mission software while Avalon passes instructions between the operator and each platform.
Avalon requires Jetson-class computing on the platform and a radio link between platforms. The software uses about 25 watts and does not require a cloud service. Each agent can continue following its assigned mission when communications between platforms are lost. Avalon can also send platform status, detections, and task outcomes into ATAK, Lattice, and vehicle battle-management systems, allowing operators to use systems already deployed rather than adding another standalone control station.
The Tactical Layer of Autonomy
Avalon functions as a tactical orchestration agent between human instructions and the autonomy systems installed on different platforms. Autonomous vehicles can already fly, drive, detect obstacles, follow routes, and execute programmed tasks. The operator bottleneck occurs when one person must direct several machines while performing another job. Under a one-to-one system, adding more autonomous platforms also requires more people to operate them. Avalon is designed to let one operator direct several platforms instead.
Avalon has been tested on land, at sea, and with U.S. military users. HII integrated Avalon with its Odyssey autonomy on the ROMULUS unmanned surface vessel, and the software moved from a signed agreement to a working ROMULUS vessel in 49 days. Avalon has also been demonstrated with U.S. Special Operations Command and was selected in June 2026 as one of 25 companies for the Pentagon’s Crucible 2 Swarm Forge initiative, chosen from 133 submissions.
From Australian Startup to AUKUS Capability
Breaker’s latest commercial milestone came on October 6, 2026, when Rheinmetall Defence Australia and Breaker announced an agreement to integrate Avalon into the Australian Boxer Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle through the vehicle’s open architecture. During a customer demonstration, one Boxer crew member commanded a swarm of drones by voice while operating the vehicle and performing regular duties. The operator needed less than 30 minutes of training and used the Boxer’s standard microphone and headset, with no new screen or controller added to the vehicle. The software reached Rheinmetall Defence Australia’s simulator within weeks, and the companies demonstrated a working Boxer capability within six months of their first discussion.
The agreement extends Avalon into an established armored-vehicle platform. Rheinmetall is delivering 211 Boxer combat reconnaissance vehicles to the Australian Army under LAND 400 Phase 2, a program awarded in 2018, and the vehicles are expected to remain in service for the next 30 years. Avalon provides a software layer that can direct autonomous aircraft from the Boxer without requiring another person inside the vehicle, using the vehicle’s open architecture to connect the armored platform with autonomous systems.
Breaker is also expanding its business across the three AUKUS nations. In February 2026, the company raised $6 million in seed funding led by Bessemer Venture Partners, with Main Sequence returning as an investor. In June, the Australian Government awarded Breaker a AU$1.2 million Industry Growth Program grant, which Breaker and its investors matched dollar for dollar, bringing total project funding to AU$2.4 million. The funding is being used to commercialize Avalon as an Australian capability for allied defense markets, with expansion into the United Kingdom also planned.
Military and defense leaders have also visited Breaker’s operations in Australia and the United States. On July 28, Major General Kurt Brown, the Australian Army’s Head of Land Capability, led a delegation of senior Australian Army land capability leaders to Breaker’s Austin headquarters. On September 4, Brown returned to Breaker’s Sydney office with Brigadier James Kidd and Captain Rhys Turner. In July, Breaker Co-CEO Michael Irwin also spoke at the Australian British Defence Catalyst in London about software, autonomous systems, and AUKUS.
Avalon addresses a specific military operating problem by giving one operator a common way to direct different autonomous systems without assigning a dedicated operator to every aircraft, vehicle, vessel, or sensor. The operator provides the mission instruction, while Avalon assigns tasks, coordinates platform actions, reports information, and keeps each system working from the mission it has received.
The October 6 Boxer demonstration places Avalon inside an established armored vehicle, while the ROMULUS integration extends the software to maritime systems. With deployments across different platforms, military demonstrations, private and government funding, and operations in Australia and the United States, Breaker is positioning Avalon as software for the tactical control of increasingly diverse autonomous fleets.
BREAKER | LEADERSHIP
Matthew Buffa is co-founder and co-CEO of Breaker. He is based in Austin, Texas, where he leads the company’s U.S. headquarters. Breaker’s Austin office handles U.S. operations, customer work, and partnerships with defense primes and robotics manufacturers.
Michael Irwin is co-founder and Co-CEO of Breaker. He is based in Sydney, Australia. Irwin has spoken publicly about Breaker’s autonomous systems technology and the company’s work to enable one operator to direct multiple autonomous systems.
Vanja Videnovic is co-founder and CTO of Breaker. He is based in Sydney, Australia. He is part of Breaker’s founding leadership and works on the company’s technology for autonomous systems.
