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BAe Systems Taranis

History of BAe Systems Taranis

UCAV (Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle) is a further development of UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle). Originally a reconnaissance product, drones have seen acceptable results in the delivery of munitions associated with these aircraft over the past decade or so.

As a result, technology has led to larger, heavier, longer-range drones that can efficiently deliver guided munitions on demand, and such drones now form the "UCAV" category. As such, UCAVs are an effective "bridge" between yesterday's primitive unmanned drones and tomorrow's full-scale unmanned utility jets.

BAE Taranis is a UK development to test the viability of a fully autonomous drone that would be able to deliver precision-guided munitions with an inherent long-range range. As such, Taranis is strictly a technology demonstrator for a large-scale UCAV design, not a military end product.

The project also aims to provide the UK with a homegrown drone/UCAV solution without having to rely on European or US developments.

As a fully autonomous UCAV, Taranis is not limited to pre-programmed waypoint tracking, takeoff and landing procedures, but is also able to make its own informed "decisions" during flight (ground control assumes operator override). In this way, Taranis becomes a very flexible tactical system capable of independently responding to various threats and changing mission parameters. The scope of the project is certainly similar to the dream of science fiction decades ago, when it was seen that airplanes would one day retain their own logic outside of their human creators.

While this is a very optimistic end goal of the project, it is quite possible as the technology around UAV/UCAV continues to evolve today.

The BAE Taranis, nicknamed after the Celtics' Thor Taranis, is roughly the same size as the BAE Hawk, an advanced jet trainer/light attack aircraft. The UCAV incorporates hard-to-see stealth properties into a carefully sculpted triangular floor plan shape, with a single embedded turbofan engine sucking in from a triangular air intake mounted on the aircraft's nose. The aircraft will have a very simple full-wing design (no vertical rudders), well contoured and aerodynamically efficient. Ammunition is supplied through internal weapons bay assemblies mounted below the aircraft structure. The Taranis will feature a fully retractable wheeled tricycle landing gear, as well as several inconspicuous features to evade enemy radars (special skin coating, minimal structural protrusions, specially designed engine exhaust, slim front, side and rear profiles, etc.).

With BAe Systems as the prime contractor, the project will combine talent from BAe, Rolls-Royce, GE Aviation and QinetiQ with DoD engineers to maximize the Taranis program. Part of the funding is provided by the Ministry of Defense, while the entire project is managed by the Strategic Unmanned Aircraft (Experimental) Integrated Project Team (SUAV(E) IPT).

Production of the first Taranis prototype began in 2007, which was first shown at Wharton Airport in Lancashire in July 2010. Ground testing of the unit then began in 2010, with a maiden flight expected sometime in late 2012 or early 2013. The system has been designed to date with a 30-foot span, 37-foot barrel length and 13-foot ground clearance. The unit weighs 18,000 pounds, and its Rolls-Royce turbofan engine (probably a Rolls-Royce Adour Mk. 951) is rated at 6,480 pounds of thrust.

This will allow Taranis to fly at supersonic speeds.

February 2014 - The first flight footage of the Taranis drone is shown to the public. Flight tests were conducted in secret at the Woomera test site in South Australia to demonstrate the operational controls and sound of the hyper-aerodynamic design.

The flight is said to have taken place in August 2013.