Unmanned combat drones could very well the future on the battlefield, and UK’s BAE Systems have revealed footage of their Taranis unmanned combat drone on its maiden flight as you can see above. This particular Taranis drone is said to be smart enough to select targets on its own, and has been hailed as an “inspiration for nation,” although you would be able to find activists who want to ban the use of its auto-kill mode. Hmmm, this is starting to sound familiar such as the situation in the RoboCop movie reboot. Apart from functioning well, it will also have to look good – that seems to be a pre-requisite these days in order to gain a higher percentage of approval from the masses.
Called “Taranis” in honor of the Celtic god of thunder, this new British unmanned aerial combat vehicle was shown off in its full glory in a short test-flight that was filmed last year. I am quite sure that improvements have since been made to this 8-ton, 11-meter long UACV, where it sports a wing span of approximately 9 meters. The video shows it take off, perform some simple maneuvers and then making a landing. It was four years ago when we first heard of a prototype of Taranis in existence.
Filed in . Read more about Drones.