The BAE Systems Taranis unmanned-combat air vehicle (UCAV) demonstrator has made its maiden flight and is currently undergoing initial flight trials, according to the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

Flights are understood to be on-going at the Royal Australian Air Force’s Woomera Testing Range in South Australia, where previous unmanned flight tests have taken place (these include the Mantis, Herti, Corax and Raven systems). The UK is highly secretive about the Taranis UCAV, which has been seen in public on only two occasions.

The aim of the £180 million Taranis project is to explore ‘stealthy’ unmanned-aircraft capabilities in striking targets with real precision at long range, while still maintaining a degree of human control.

Testing such an unmanned system requires a different approach and testing regime, when compared to the testing of traditional manned platforms, as flights are comprehensively simulated and tested on the ground before the actual flight. This procedure is necessary to ensure that all functions and flight algorithms are properly responding to all flight conditions, thus reducing the risk involved in such unmanned flight.

As a technology demonstrator vehicle, Taranis is not intended to enter production. According to the MoD evidence to Parliament, “it will provide the MoD with experimental evidence on the potential capabilities, helping to inform decisions on the future mix of manned and remotely piloted systems”.

BAE Systems, as prime contractor, is responsible for the low observability, systems integration, control infrastructure and full-autonomy elements (developed in partnership with QinetiQ), while Rolls-Royce will focus on the development of the propulsion system (believed to be a derivative of the Adour Mk.951 turbo-fan); GE Aviation is responsible for delivering other vehicle systems.