UAV - Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Recognising future trends Warton is also working on UCAV and UAV types and has recently been more open about them, ref Flight Magazine. These aircraft are a variety of sizes from very small to medium sized and as yet are an immature technology.

It has been said for many years that the aircrew are a limiting factor to aircraft manoeuverability and the roles that aircraft are used in. The timeframe for unmanned aircraft with serious capability has repeatedly gone back although now inroads are being made particularly in high risk and long duration roles.

At this time I'm not familiar with any issued military requirement likely to result in an order providing the industrial significance of say a Typhoon. Instead of the recognised major players this field has scope for an innovator although transforming that into a serious candidate might be another matter. Several companies are vying for the best ideas by producing demonstrators and obtaining low quantity orders.

Watch this space. It will be interesting to see where the future of military aircraft development and manufacture goes after Typhoon and Lightning II. Not to forget the impact on other high technology capabilities in the UK like engines and avionics.

Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) from Warton

Taranis

On 12th July 2010 BAE SYSTEMS at Warton unveiled the prototype unmanned combat concept demonstrator aircraft, the Taranis.

The event was attended by the Minister for International Security Strategy Gerald Howarth.

The aircraft has been produced via an informal partnership of the UK MoD and industry including BAE Systems, Rolls Royce, QinetiQ and GE Aviation.

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 UK MoD with critical knowledge on the technical and manufacturing challenges and the potential capabilities of Unmanned Combat Air Systems.

Flight trials are due in 2012.

Link to BAE SYSTEMS press release.

Previously it was known that the Taranis is a UAV Technology Demonstrator that will lead to an Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV). Over £100m has been allocated UK Government’s Strategic Unmanned Air Vehicle Experiment (SUAVE).

The project is being led from Warton by the Autonomous Systems and Future Capability team. There is support from other BAE Systems teams in the UK and in Australia. Industry partners on this MoD led project include Rolls-Royce; QinetiQ and Smiths Aerospace.

The aircraft has a stealth appearance of an F117.

Mantis

The Mantis tactical UAV demonstrator was built at Warton and is due to fly in Australia in 2009. It was shown at Farnborough last year and has a more conventional appearance with twin prop engined mounted on the fuselage.

HERTI

HERTI's first flight was in December 2004. It builds on the Kestrel, Raven and Corax programmes which had also flown. It is a low cost, long endurance vehicle suited to reconnaissance and surveillance in both the military and civil sectors. Although centred at Warton the aircraft is built at Slingsby Aviation.

 

Last Modified: 29 July, 2011