Secrets of Next-Generation British Stealth Plane Revealed

Named after the Celtic God of Thunder, BAE Systems' new stealth plane Taranis is an autonomous UAV system.

A high-tech British roboplane capable of attacking targets as far away as Afghanistan was unveiled by defense contractor BAE Systems in the U.K. Monday.

The prototype roboplane, named Taranis after the Celtic god of thunder, took four years to build and cost £143 million ($215 million).

The plane is unique in that it can fly itself, without piloting from the ground. It is equipped with two internal bomb bays to carry a wide range of weapons.

It can also attack intercontinental targets, meaning it could launch an attack from the U.K. on targets as far away as Afghanistan. Nigel Whitehead, BAE's managing director for programs, said the plane's biggest technological advantage was its ability to fly without intervention from the ground.

He said most unmanned planes were controlled by pilots on the ground, but that the Taranis could fly itself and evade radar detection.

"You can tell it what to do, give it alternatives, change the mission in flight -- and it is smart enough to do it itself and make choices," he said. "You can also intervene if something goes wrong."

BAE Systems won the contract to build the Taranis four years ago. The company's goal was to build an unmanned aircraft capable of covert intelligence gathering.

Taranis will commence flight tests in 2011, and BAE hopes that the British Ministry of Defence will purchase the planes for service with the Royal Air Force.

Link

No folks, it is not a ufo. It is a very cool stealth British plane.

[edit on 12-7-2010 by bputman]

reply to post by bputman


Are they actually going to put this on into service? I was talking to a RAF engineer a few weeks ago who was talking about how they were starting to be the Eurofighter into service. With current economic restraints will the government be able to afford these new planes alongside the newest 5th generation jets. Also doesn’t £143 million for R&D on a plane like this seem rather cheap.

When these test flights start though the sightings of UFO’s are going to rocket. Good find

S&F

This would be the one that may have taken out that wind turbine back in January.

Of course it was blamed on a UFO, which I guess it was considering no one identified it - but it was said that some new UAV clipped the thing but was able to continue in flight.

Originally posted by kevinunknown
reply to post by bputman

 

Are they actually going to put this on into service? I was talking to a RAF engineer a few weeks ago who was talking about how they were starting to be the Eurofighter into service. With current economic restraints will the government be able to afford these new planes alongside the newest 5th generation jets. Also doesn’t £143 million for R&D on a plane like this seem rather cheap.

When these test flights start though the sightings of UFO’s are going to rocket. Good find

S&F

Might be a few more years before they put these babies into service. I believe they are around the usual price for a fighter jet, but who knows with the economic shift. I wouldn't be surprise to see three or four of them enter the service costing the country an extra billion dollars.

I wonder what the failsafes are if communication is blocked by an opponent, after all if it's flying over their country they're allowed to at least block all it's comm link to home.

Seek and destroy missions are probably abandoned unless they "eyes on the target" is confirmed from a human at H.Q.

I'm guessing it probably defaults to "return home" after a while or something in such situations when it can't communicate back.

this is so cool, yet so scary! isn't it interesting how a ufo was photographed in China, and now BAE is releasing a "new" military model? cats outta the bag

The existence of the project has been public for some time. Just not paraded to the non specialist media. Its probably not a co-incidence that this is rolled out with a fanfare now. The MoD is about to embark on brutal cuts imposed by the treasury. Anything thats not directly needed for Afghanistan is going to need a lot of friends to survive. Hence the show and tell.

I'd guess this will have to morph into a collaborative program with somebody if its going to survive in this climate. Its in competition with Neuron and a host of others in europe.

This wont have anything to do with Chinese UFOs. Its a prototype flown by the contractor. If its left the country at all it would be to a range in a friendly nation.

Heres another article that has an additional picture:
www.dailymail.co.uk...


[edit on 13-7-2010 by Blazer]

reply to post by kevinunknown


I think you'll find this has been extensively tested over the last year or two.

In Australia.

'Bump'

Its never been flown [even at Woomera] but is due to this year.

Does anyone remember TSR2? This was a jet that had the ability to be a world beater designed by the British in the 60's but political fumbling had the aircraft scrapped for the Americans F-111 (which was eventually scrapped too cos it was late, over budget and didnt meet the requirements).

After the government cancelled TSR2 they also had English Electric burn all jigs, tooling and half built prototypes, rather a strange thing eh??

Britain developed to most successful VTOL aircraft in the world, even the yanks bought it. Why didnt they steal it and make the thing themselves? Becuase they couldnt improve on it until now with the F-35.

About 10 years ago the British and French started working on FOAS - Future Offensive Air System, not sure what happened but I have a FOAS pin badge which looked remarkably like Replica - Replica was a non flying full size stealth aircraft built by BAE Systems (formally Electric Lightning), this thing could have been like the JSF but more likely a Stealth Strike Aircraft, pretty nice, but the UK used it as move to get into JSF and guarantee manufacture (what happenend to Replica, its in a museum, never to be built).

UK and France never get on (Typhoon vs Rafael, Harrier vs Mirage) but the Jaguar! Seems like the French can build their own fighter aircraft just like Sweden but not Britain, they need other people for some reason.

When BAe (soon to be BAE Systems) built EAP - Experimental Aircraft programme, which was the Technology Demonstrator for the Typhoon, they re used Tornado undercarriage and engines (probably losts of other stuff too) and Taranis probably uses some systems from Typhoon, Hawk, Tornado and Harrier and Replica. But they couldnt go it alone, had to get the Germans and Italians in, the French demanded too much so were out and eventually the Spain joined the consortium.

Somethings that set Taranis apart from current UAV's is its stealthy (like the X-45 or whatever the US navy thing is) and its Autonomy. The software that runs Taranis is fully autonomous, the current breed of UAVs are remotely piloted drones, this baby isnt, its Autonomous, it can even select a patch of earth that it can use as an improvised airstrip if it gets into trouble, thats clever.

When Typhoon went to Singapore to compete against F-15 and Rafael the American politicians allegedly threatened to pull aid if they didnt by the F-15. When India dropped american aircraft for either Rafeal or Typhoon the Americans tried to pull another political card (still might).

And when Britain launch their fully autonomous stealth UAV, will America force its cancellation by claiming government subsidiaries, the close relationship or other financial carrots?

Will Britain have the balls to put this thing into manufacture for themselves and have a world beating platform, I dont think so, they will probably partner with the French during advanced development, the French will steal the designs and technology (why does Rafael look like typhoon and EAP) (concorde to the russians anyone) demand some unreasonable French workshare and make the partnership fall apart. Britain will buy American because the politicians upper lip is so stiff because its lodged firmly in the yanks asshole. Yet another great British engineering effort lost and the French will build some Taranis lookalike under performing piece of crap just like Rafael.

I wish the Brits had some balls, they have the brains, so do australia btw who are building Taranis brains but the Aussies are all from the UK anyway.

Cant wait to see what hapens to Taranis.