The BAE Systems Taranis is a British demonstrator programme for Unmanned
Combat Air Vehicle technology, under development primarily by the defence
contractor BAE Systems Military Air & Information. The aircraft, which is
named after the Celtic god of thunder Taranis, first flew in 2013. A
semi-autonomous unmanned warplane, the Taranis is designed to fly
intercontinental missions, and will carry a variety of weapons, enabling it
to attack both aerial and ground targets. It will utilise stealth
technology, giving it a low radar profile, and it will be controllable via
satellite link from anywhere on Earth. An operational derivative of the Taranis
is expected to enter military service some time after 2030.
Background The development of UAVs was a key part
of the UK's Defence Industrial Strategy, which was announced in December 2005,
and specified the need for the UK to maintain its "sovereign" aircraft and
UAV/UCAV construction skills. The Strategic Unmanned Air Vehicles
Integrated Project Team, or SUAV(E) IPT, was given responsibility for auditing
and overseeing the Taranis project. Design and development
The Taranis project is led by BAE Systems, and also involves Rolls-Royce,
GE Aviation Systems, QinetiQ and the Ministry of Defence. As the prime
contractor, BAE Systems is responsible for the overall programme, and also for
many of the component technologies, including stealth technology, systems
integration and system control infrastructure. BAE Systems and QinetiQ
collaborated on all aspects relating to the autonomy of the system.
GE Aviation Systems is responsible for providing Taranis' fuel-gauging and
electrical power systems. Rolls-Royce is responsible for the UCAV's propulsion
system, having a 5% workshare in the project, while the Integrated Systems
Technologies subsidiary of BAE Systems is providing C4ISTAR support.
At the project's inception, BAE Systems stated that "Taranis will make use of at
least 10 years of research and development into low observables,
systems integration, control infrastructure and full autonomy. It
follows the completion of risk-reduction activities to ensure the mix of
technologies, materials and systems used are robust enough for the 'next logical
step'." These "risk-reduction activities" included several earlier BAE
stealth aircraft and UAV programmes, such as Replica, Nightjar I, Nightjar
II, Kestrel, Corax, Raven and HERTI. = Prototype=
The first steel for the Taranis prototype was cut in September 2007, and
assembly began in February 2008. On 9 January 2009, the Ministry of Defence
denied that the Taranis had been flying near the site of a damaged wind turbine,
after local people claimed to have seen an UFO.
The prototype, which had an initial development cost of £143 million, was
unveiled by BAE Systems at Warton Aerodrome, Lancashire, on 12 July 2010.
Ground tests of the prototype began in 2010, and flight trials were initially
expected to begin in 2011. However, the aircraft's first flight was later
delayed to 2012, then delayed further and finally took place on 10 August
2013. The prototype has a maximum takeoff
weight of about 8,000 kg, and is of a similar size to the BAE Hawk training
jet. It has two internal weapons bays, and is intended to incorporate "full
autonomy", allowing it to operate without human control for a large part
of its mission. = Flight testing=
On 25 October 2013, the UK Ministry of Defence revealed that initial flight
tests had already taken place. Ground tests were conducted in 2010 and flight
trials occurred in 2013. The MoD did not officially comment on the Taranis until
the initial trials programme had been completed.
On 5 February 2014, BAE revealed information on the Taranis' flight
tests. The UCAV's first flight occurred on 10 August 2013 at Woomera Test Range
in South Australia. This flight lasted for approximately 15 minutes. A second
sortie was launched on 17 August, and subsequent flights surpassed
expectations for the airframe, flying at various speeds and heights for as long
as one hour. By 2014, the Taranis' development costs had reached £185
million, compared to £140 million as originally projected. The Taranis is
planned to be operational "post 2030" and used in concert with manned
aircraft. = Follow-on development=
Under the terms of an Anglo-French development contract announced in 2014,
parts from the Taranis will be combined with the Dassault nEUROn in a joint
European UCAV. Specifications
Data from Airforce-Technology.com General characteristics
Length: 12.43 m Wingspan: 10 m
Height: 4 m Powerplant: 1 × Rolls-Royce Adour
Moderate by-pass ratio turbofan engine, 44 kN thrust
Performance Maximum speed: Mach