New BAE - UCAV project

[ryan d ale]

I was reading some magazines in WHSmiths (like you do). Sorry if you don't know what that is.

Anyway I was reading some magazine related to aviation and it mentioned that BAE had started work on a project for a UCAV. It's called 'Tarantis'. It had some artwork of it too although it looked very similar to D'Assault UCAV.

Anyway just thought I'd let you know.

UCAV - Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle

[dunkellic]

wow, needed them quite a long time to get something like this started ^^
the french are already working on one, the german and spaniards, the italians,...


by the way, next time please include some more information - quoting from flightglobal.com

Hopes of a single unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) development programme for Europe took a further blow today after the UK Ministry of Defence announced BAE Systems is to lead a £124 million ($240 million) UCAV technology demonstrator programme.

BAE Systems will be prime contractor on the Tarantis UCAV project (pictured below), which also includes Rolls-Royce, Smiths Aerospace and Qinetiq.

Named after the Celtic god of Thunder, Taranis will "explore and demonstrate how emerging technologies and systems can deliver battle-winning capabilities for the UK armed forces," the MoD says. In addition to the existing industry partners, the project will also engage a significant number of other UK suppliers, BAE says.

Mike Turner, chief executive of BAE Systems, said: “This project supports many of the key drivers outlined in the defence industrial strategy – in particular the way in which we, as a nation, continue to develop a sustainable sovereign capability by supporting UK design and engineering skills. This is an important project in light of the way in which military operations are changing.”

Dassault Aviation has initially hoped its Neuron programme would become the sole UCAV programme in Europe, drawing an international collaboration team from the continent's manufacturers, however national programmes continue in Italy, Germany and Sweden.

Last month Italy's Alenia Aeronautica announced it has started a scoping study into the feasability of launching a full scale UCAV project as a successor to its existing Sky-X programme.

In the USA, Boeing's X-45 and Northrup Grumman's X-47 demonstrators are competing for the US Navy N-UCAS requirement. The European Defence Agency has previously expressed concern that no single European manufacturer can afford the investment required to compete against US efforts, ncessitating a unified response.

The four-year Taranis project, part of the UK government’s Strategic Unmanned Air Vehicle (Experimental) Programme (Suave), will result in a UAV with fully integrated autonomous systems and low observable features, the ministry says.

The bat-wing, tail-less Tarantis will be around the size of a BAE Systems Hawk trainer. Ground testing of Taranis is expected to take place in early 2009 with the first flight trials taking place in 2010.

though, i´ve got to admit, this one looks better (click picture for more info)




personally, i would favour a european project, what france tried to pull off with the neuron - but seeing as anybody wants to get his own one, i dont think that there is a big chance for this

[ryan d ale]

Yep a bit of collboration would do a world of good

[[R-MOD]Bob_Marley]

Yes... further collaberation... together we can rebuild the old empires and take back the power from those interloping Americans and Chinese!

*manical laughter*

[Top_Cat_AxJnAt]

Originally Posted by ryan d ale

I was reading some magazines in WHSmiths (like you do).

LOL, i must have spent a good 2 hours total this month in their magazine section but bought a spectacular 0 magazines. A true Pickey at hearT!!!!!!

[=SE=N@poleone]

Like the Eurofighter Typhoon and the Panavia Tornado...uhmm...we hope...

(it's just a commercial joint venture for built ourself aircraft and no more do expensive debit with USA that we must pay with Pramigiano,Champagne,Gin and Wurstel...)

[Bob.Dob]

... and the Rafale...

There's no doubt though! If Europe (especially the EU3: France, UK and Germany) completely pooled its military industrial complexes and budgets together it would come up with some pretty insane tech.

[El_Vikingo]

All great, until something goes wrong! (wasn't there a movie about this, Stealth?)