Named after the Celtic god of thunder, British defense firm BAE Systems officially revealed its high-tech unmanned stealth jet, Taranis. Equivalent in size to that of a Hawk jet, Taranis is equipped with stealth equipment and an ‘autonomous’ artificial intelligence system.With the ability to carry heavy payloads (bombs and missiles) and to penetrate deep into the enemy territory, the unmanned jet is a silent killer capable of precisely striking targets at long range, even in another continent.
Taranis has onboard sensors to carry out intelligence and surveillance on enemy territory and can be remote controlled via satellite communications from anywhere in the world. With Cutting edge design, Taranis is stealthy, fast, and can defend itself against manned and unmanned enemy aircrafts. The aircraft is a prototype and an informal partnership of the UK MoD and industry British engineering firms including BAE Systems, Rolls Royce, QinetiQ and GE Aviation. Test flights for the Taranis plane are due to start in 2011.
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