Woah! How cool does THAT look?

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**Albatross**

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/10602105.stm

BBC wrote:The Ministry of Defence has unveiled its prototype unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV).

Taranis is a concept design for a long-range strike plane that has taken over three million man hours to produce.

Defence Minister Gerald Howarth said it was a "truly trailblazing project" and featured "the best of our nation's advanced design and technology".

The aircraft is due to begin flight trials early next year.

Named after the Celtic god of thunder, Taranis is the first step in the development of unmanned strike aircraft, capable of penetrating enemy territory.

It looks like a bloody UFO!

**SilverMK2**

Yeah, but we have probably only purchased the software which will let if fly over Devon on a day ending with "fibble"

But yes, it does look pretty damn cool.

**Waaagh_Gonads**

What are the things in the foreground?

Bullets?
Bombs?
Traffic cones?

**whatwhat**

That's 300 hundred super models dressed in black standing side on.

We only need skynet to become sentient now and we're all fethed.

**gregor_xenos**

Tar-anus indeed.

**Chibi Bodge-Battle**

gregor_xenos wrote:Tar-anus indeed.

would you care to elaborate please Greg or ex-anus?

**SilverMK2**

He's just jealous that the Americans get stuck with something that looks like a giant flying willy while we get something that looks cool

**avantgarde**

5 bucks says there's a easily solved critical weakness that will be exploited by the Russian/Chinese/Al-Qaedians for about a year before you guys figure it out.

**Soladrin**

Unamnned BAH, for pansies.

**Albatross**

I'm sure the Dutch version will be much better.

**Soladrin**

We will stick monkey´s in them, with a buttload of weed to sustain them. The payload will consist of 5tons of clogs. And it´s wind powered.

**mattyrm**

This nation is skint, if that fething thing ever gets into action and actually does what its supposed to, ill eat hay with a donkey.

**filbert**

If its anything like Bowman, it will end up way over budget and time frame, with an incredibly bloated set of design specs and wishlisting by every man and his dog, to be used as a political football and example of wastage in the MOD forever more.

**whatwhat**

It's being made by BAE Systems according to that link. Which means it will be for profit, i.e. sold around the world. The MOD's part in it is most likely that they're subsidising it's development with a contract to receive profit from it's sales (+ they'll no doubt be stuff in that contract about it's use by the british military). That's the way it works most of the time.

**aka_tizz**

To me it looks a lot like the B-2 (from the second pic at least). They must've given it a facelift, brand new Windows 7(r) software, and tadaaaaaaa! And when they get to actually launch a bomb, they get a nasty BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) and the thing crashes.

Joke aside, it's pretty damn awesome.

brits for it!

**squilverine**

filbert wrote:If its anything like Bowman, it will end up way over budget and time frame, with an incredibly bloated set of design specs and wishlisting by every man and his dog, to be used as a political football and example of wastage in the MOD forever more.

I remember the old joke that BOWMAN stood for Better Off With Map And Nokia!

That being said with the MOD looking for savings and the RAF being perceived as too big for it's current role, the chance to adopt a system where by there were no pilot costs could be welcomed, it will also be popular with joe public as it eliminates the chances of a pilot getting hurt, even though pilot casualties are incredibly rare (I can't remember the last one).

**mattyrm**

Pilots of planes die very very rarely. We lose helos occasionally, maybe 3 or 4 that i can remember, we lost one the night we flew into Iraq for example, and one creamed in when i was in Ganners as well, but it aint common. Its infantry does the dying! :-(

**SilverMK2**

How would you like an unmanned stealth soldier that you could control from the base?

The MOD has been working on it and so far this is what they have come up with:

**Samus_aran115**

Waaagh_Gonads wrote:What are the things in the foreground?

Bullets?
Bombs?
Traffic cones?

I thought it was vacuum-cleaner bristles...

Looks weird.Can't they make something with hard-lines and sharp angles, like a hummer??

It reminds me of a clockwork orange.

**Arctik_Firangi**

Do the missiles or whatever they are have to have sharp ends? They could be dangerous.

**Samus_aran115**

Arctik_Firangi wrote:Do the missiles or whatever they are have to have sharp ends? They could be dangerous.

Which is why you put bright yellow hazard stripes all over them so people can see them from really far away

**squilverine**

Arctik_Firangi wrote:Do the missiles or whatever they are have to have sharp ends? They could be dangerous.

I am sure that a suitable risk assessment will be carried out, with compensation offered to every fether and his goat who happens to see one of these things pass over head and claims for the accute anxiety they will undoubtedly develop from the whole experience.

**ShivanAngel**

Samus_aran115 wrote:
Waaagh_Gonads wrote:What are the things in the foreground?

Bullets?
Bombs?
Traffic cones?

I thought it was vacuum-cleaner bristles...

Looks weird.Can't they make something with hard-lines and sharp angles, like a hummer??

It reminds me of a clockwork orange.

No they cant... The smooth shape and countours is what makes it invisible (or very hard to detect) on radar. (that and a special covering)...

Giving it hard lines, angles and what not would make its stick out a lot more.

**Samus_aran115**

I was kidding. That's why there's a smile at the end

I was pointing out how absurd it is that our stealth plane has a boxy shape...Although that means nothing. The entire plane is coated with radar deflecting paint, so the shape is irrelevant

**ShivanAngel**

Samus_aran115 wrote:I was kidding. That's why there's a smile at the end

I was pointing out how absurd it is that our stealth plane has a boxy shape...Although that means nothing. The entire plane is coated with radar deflecting paint, so the shape is irrelevant

no its not, Its a culmination of things. The radar absorbing material, shape, special exhaust and fan vents are all designed to make it invisible to radar. You just cant slap a layer of radar reduction material (its not paint btw) and make it invisible.

**Samus_aran115**

Oh,okay.

**SilverMK2**

ShivanAngel wrote:no its not, Its a culmination of things. The radar absorbing material, shape, special exhaust and fan vents are all designed to make it invisible to radar. You just cant slap a layer of radar reduction material (its not paint btw) and make it invisible.

It also has the engines deep inside the aircraft, which makes it more difficult to spot on infrared.

**Phryxis**

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Martin_RQ-170_Sentinel

**IvanTih**

It looks nice.Nah,it needs moar skulls and latin mottos.

**George Spiggott**

Phryxis wrote:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Martin_RQ-170_Sentinel

Old news.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horten_Ho_229