Taranis Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle

The MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper could be the foremost menacing UAVs patrolling the skies these days, however they are close to face some stiff competition. The UK's Ministry of Defense announced its Taranis UAV design, lifting the veil off of a £124 million project that has been in development for three years and brought up a million and man hours.

Named after the Celtic god of Thunder (Thor is Nordic), Taranis is being designed as a stealth combat vehicle capable of long-range air strikes--the MOD even claims eventual cross-continent capabilities. Ground-based testing has been ongoing since early 2010, and will conclude with the vehicle's first flight. Flight trials are expected to start in 2011.

The technology demonstrator vehicle (TDV), the Taranis air vehicle is one of the world's largest unmanned air vehicles and is approximately the same size as the BAE Systems Hawk advanced jet trainer that is 11.35m long, 3.98m high and has a wingspan of 9.94m. On the same basis, the load of the Taranis is approximately 8t. For comparison the empty weight and take-off weight of the Hawk are 4.45t and 9.1t.

The Taranis air vehicle contains a delta-wing shape and tricycle-type landing gear. A computer-generated video shows the system taking off from a paved runway. The Taranis air vehicle is similar in shape, if not in scale, to BAE's Raven delta-wing demonstrator unmanned air vehicle.

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Jaguar GR.1 Low-altitude Ground Attack Aircraf

Jaguar GR.1 Ground Attack Aircraf Photos

Jaguar Gr.1 French/British low altitude ground attack aircraft. The French and British air forces each bought around 200, the Jaguar also did well in the export market. The Jaguar is a small plane in relation to a small high-wing monoplane, giving a smooth 'ride' at low altitude. It's not very complicated, yet versatile and effective upgrade programs are now expanding their capabilities. The British versions are the S attack aircraft (Jaguar GR) and B two-seat trainer (Jaguar T). The jaguar is the version of the French attack, and the E the French two-seat trainer. The Jaguar M shipboard attack aircraft was canceled. The Jaguar International is the export version, but construction license in India.

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