UK's Stealth Fighter BAE "TARANIS"

Defence firm BAE Systems officially unveiled its first ever high-tech unmanned stealth jet.
The Taranis, named after the Celtic god of thunder, is about the same size as a Hawk jet and is equipped with stealth equipment and an 'autonomous' artificial intelligence system.
The plane will test the possibility of developing the first ever autonomous stealthy Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) that would ultimately be capable of precisely striking targets at long range, even in another continent.
Taranis, the prototype of an unmanned combat aircraft of the future, which was unveiled today
The trial aircraft cost £143 million pounds to construct and spearheads BAE's drive to convince the Ministry of Defence to invest in the next generation of unmanned aircraft.
Almost invisible to ground radar, it is designed to travel at high jet speeds and cover massive distances between continents.
The plane is built to carry out intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance on enemy territory using onboard sensors.
And it has been designed to carry a cache of weapons -- including bombs and missiles -, giving it a potential long-range strike capability.
It can be controlled from anywhere in the world with satellite communications.
Experts say the cutting-edge design is at the forefront of world technology and as advanced as any US development.
The plane began development in December 2006, and is intended to prove the UK's ability to produce a stealthy UAV.
Taranis will be stealthy, fast, able to carry out use a number of on-board weapons systems and be able to defend itself against manned and other unmanned enemy aircraft.
The concept demonstrator will test the possibility of developing the first ever autonomous stealthy Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) that would ultimately be capable of precisely striking targets at long range, even in another continent
Any future need hinges on the outcome of the Strategic Defence and Security Review, which will conclude around October.Speaking at the unveiling ceremony at BAE Systems in Warton, Lancashire, Minister for International Security Strategy Gerald Howarth said: 'Taranis is a truly trailblazing project.
'The first of its kind in the UK, it reflects the best of our nation's advanced design and technology skills and is a leading programme on the global stage.'
He added: 'Taranis shows the UK's advanced engineering, research, technology and innovation sector at its world-beating best.'
Taranis is an informal partnership of the UK MoD and industry British engineering firms including BAE Systems, Rolls Royce, QinetiQ and GE Aviation.
Rolls-Royce will focus on the next generation propulsion system for the Taranis demonstrator.
Speaking on behalf of the industry team, Nigel Whitehead, Group managing director of BAE Systems' Programmes & Support business, said: 'Taranis has been three and a half years in the making and is the product of more than a million man-hours.
It represents a significant step forward in this country's fast-jet capability. This technology is key to sustaining a strong industrial base and to maintain the UK's leading position as a centre for engineering excellence and innovation."
The Taranis prototype will provide the MOD with knowledge on the technical and manufacturing challenges and the potential capabilities of Unmanned Combat Air Systems.
Test flights for the Taranis plane are due to start in 2011.

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[consoleman09]

too bad, Chinese will steal it in few years.

[butaangas]

Looks like a UFO

[BileMonkey]

Edi is the whole idea.

[ntt688]

Straight out of "the war of the worlds".

[kuz4b]

@consoleman09 i would imagine they already have the plans.. if anything on that was made in china you can be assured they have the plans.

[MrDeano324]

Imagine thousands apon thousands of British Taranis and United States Phantom Ray aircraft patrolling the skies. The Special Relationship would dominate the worlds airspace for decades. Chinese J-20 and Russian Sukhoi T-50 aircraft would not stand a chance in hell against such advanced unmanned weaponry.

[UKCallum1]

that some scary shit

[IMOLEGREGG]

I (and others) have seen this thing flying over my house on two occasions once in the evening when I just saw its outline against the clouds, and once in the early morning with a Typhoon escort!!! Then again I live around 25 miles from the plant where they unveiled the prototype in June and around 8 miles from the plant that builds the air intake assembly. But BAE says it wont fly till late 2012, in Australia!! Must've been a ufo then!!!!

[4V14T10N]

Well that a good uav or more like a ucas maybe but the funny thing is that ucas can be stealth but when ti comes to the topic of stealth fighters f-35 is not a stealth jet! Stealth than becomes an unexisting thing!

Because if it does you have to admit that its better than eurofighter...

So my question is how does this ucas have sth doesnt exist!?

[finalmind]

The UK debut the Taranis prototype and then promptly retire their Harrier fleet...(and take aim at Tornado for retirement)....Hmmmm....the USA had the F117 up and running for year's before we found out...Is Taranis already "online"?.....