http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/blogs/defense/index.jsp?plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3a27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7Post%3ab09ab023-263b-4ef4-8b85-40b6e307a6f9

Pics and info in the link.




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Quote: BAE Expected to Unveil UAV Demonstrator Program BAE Systems is expected to strengthen its efforts to increase its unmanned aerial vehicles expertise with an announcement at the Farnborough air show that the company is to lead a British government technology demonstrator program to develop a platform in the same as the General Atomics Reaper.

More in the link;

http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=3624274&c=EUR&s=AIR

This must relate to the new offensive UAV study that was announced a few weeks ago.

But there seems little to demonstrate here; I can’t see this diverting from every aircraft since Raven which have shared a lot of common systems. Via HERTI, Fury and Taranis I can’t see what there is to demonstrate other than the airframe which doesn’t look all too radical to me. Unless of course this is actually a prototype without the commitment to order anything.


Though this does put further paid to Dassault’s claim that Europe couldn’t develop an indigenous large surveillance UAV. A claim that was obviously meant to get the DGA to favour their Heron TP derived system over EADS’ new one.




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BAE Systems is expected to strengthen its efforts to increase its unmanned aerial vehicles expertise with an announcement at the Farnborough air show that the company is to lead a British government technology demonstrator program to develop a platform in the same as the General Atomics Reaper.

Company executives have scheduled a press conference as the show gets underway July 14 where it is thought they will announce an agreement with the Ministry of Defence here to launch the technology demonstrator work.

Details of the propeller-powered vehicle, known as Mantis, are scarce ahead of the announcement. It seems likely, however, the program, led by BAE, will also include engine-builder Rolls-Royce and other companies.

The work could be related to an upcoming British network enabled ISTAR program known as Dabinett. One of the requirements for that program is for deep and persistent ISTAR capability.

A BAE spokesman declined to comment but did confirm the company would be making an announcement on a new program July 14. A large air vehicle hidden under camouflage was evident on BAE's static display July 13. It's possible this is a full-scale replica of the Mantis.

BAE, Rolls-Royce, research company QinetiQ and others are already involved in a technology demonstrator program known as Taranis.

The program in which industry and the government are together investing 124 million pounds has been underway since 2006 with the aim of developing a sovereign fully autonomous unmanned combat air vehicle capability.

Last month BAE took the wraps of an armed reconnaissance vehicle called Fury. Based on its Herti vehicle, it's the latest in a string of unmanned platforms developed by the company in recent years. Most of them have been demonstrator vehicles put together with BAE's own money.

The Royal Air Force already operates the armed Reaper vehicle. Three were purchased as part of an urgent operational requirement to support troops fighting in Afghanistan. One of the Reapers crashed with what is believed to have been engine trouble.

The British government has provided the cash to restore the fleet to three and has shown interest in further purchases of the Reaper subject to funds being available at some point in the future.

http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=3624281&c=AIR&s=TOP

Quote: BAE Systems takes wraps of Mantis project Today, BAE Systems revealed the first details of work it began late last year for the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) to develop a long endurance UAV for the UK armed forces. The project is called Mantis and is being developed under an Advanced Concept Technology Demonstrator (ACTD) contract. The ACTD is being jointly funded by MoD and the companies involved in the programme, although the final details of the cost share are still the subject of ongoing discussions. The share is believed to be somewhat less than 50/50 with MoD funding being drawn from both the science and technology budget and the Equipment Programme. In recent months BAE Systems has been lifting the lid on a number of UAV projects that it has underway continuing its tradition of developing systems before unveiling them to the public. Last month, the company used the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International exhibition in San Diego as the launch pad for an armed version of its Herti platform dubbed Fury. Mantis is being be handled by the Strategic UAV Experiment (SUAVE) Integrated Project Team at Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S). The SUAVE IPT is heading up the development of the Taranis UCAV demonstrator with BAE Systems, and was also instrumental in delivering the Reaper capability to the RAF. The Mantis model unveiled today revealed that the design is for a twin-tailed, twin engined UAV around the size of Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer. The BAE Systems team, which includes the likes of Rolls-Royce, L3 Communications, Selex Galileo and QinetiQ, have already completed wind tunnel testing of the design and the first flight, effectively the end of the initial ACTD, is scheduled for the first quarter of next year. According to Air Vice Marshall Simon Bollom, Director General Combat Air at DE&S, the aim of Mantis is to be a technology demonstrator for future UAV capabilities focusing on autonomy. Mantis will also be used to inform future work on both intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities as well as UAV weaponisation. As currently configured the platform would be capable of carrying up to six Paveway laser guided bomb type weapons. A DE&S official told UVonline.com that the programme is also being used by BAE Systems to demonstrate rapid prototyping capabilities within the company. What is unclear with this latest project is the amount official support BAE Systems’ efforts will enjoy within the corridors of MoD. Speaking privately to UVonline.com in recent weeks several officials expressed their dismay with the tactics BAE Systems is employing in order to make ground in the UK’s UAV market. The largest two projects currently are the British Army’s Watchkeeper system, headed up by Thales, and the purchase of three Reaper UAVs for the Royal Air Force (RAF) from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. Any indigenous long-endurance UAV development is likely to conflict with the RAF’s desire to procure further Reaper UAVs. The Chief of the Air Staff Sir Glen Torpy has stated an ambition to purchase further Reapers and the US Congress has been notified of the potential purchase of up to 10 more airframes plus associated equipment at a cost of over $1 billion. With money tight any attempt to divert further funds to Mantis is likely to meet substantial opposition. One possible funding stream is the Dabinett project which is in its early assessment phase, but includes the requirement for a deep and persistent intelligence surveillance target acquisition and reconnaissance capability. By Darren Lake, Farnborough

http://www.shephard.co.uk/UVOnline/default.aspx?Action=-187126550&ID=60e821c2-e67c-40fe-b81d-f75d2543c5dd

I said back when we bought Reaper that it would bias the RAF against UK options, looks like I was right. Of course I don't want to harm UK operational capability but long term capability also has to be a factor.



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hahahahahahahah

poor british, they prevailed to built a glider demonstrator in 2008...

the whole world is so impressed by thier UCA"V", anyway it will makes a good target!

more they trys to react in copying the shape of a far more advanced and 4 times more budgeted real UCAV!

all this wind for nothing substential makes them as fools!

hails Bae, hey hey

Ah intellectual debate on WAFF, makes ya’ proud don’t it.



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Seems to have taken over Thunders mantle!



Chris Allam, BAE Systems’ Taranis project director, said: “The brains of Taranis are now designed and coherent. What we have designed is a system that can autonomously control the aircraft to taxi, take off, and navigate its way to a search area while reacting to any threats or other events. It will then route its way around the search area in whichever way it wants to, locate the target, and then use its sensor system to transmit a series of images and views back to the operator to confirm it is the target to be attacked. Then, once it has been authorised to do so, it autonomously attacks that target, routes its way back home, lands and taxies back.