Taranis, the UK’s unmanned combat air system technology demonstrator, has successfully completed a series of key tests on the way to commencing flight trials in 2013. The low observable (LO) platform recently completed radar cross section tests at BAE Systems’ Warton site and the initial analysis has indicated that the programme has met and potentially exceeded the extremely challenging targets jointly aspired to by the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Industry.

Tom Fillingham, Future Combat Air Systems Director, said: When considered together, the results of these two key test programmes demonstrate the UK’s ability to design low observable solutions for our future unmanned combat systems.