Taranis Stealth Drone Goes 'Invisible' During Tests

Looks like the UK's BAE is coming along with leaps and bounds.

BAE has in its possession one of the single coolest and most terrifying pieces of advanced military hardware in the world: the Taranis stealth drone.

As if that wasn't enough, BAE has just announced that it successfully engaged Taranis in stealth flight allowing it to become utterly undetectable.

Taranis uses a highly secretive communication technology that allows the pilot to stay in communication with the drone without ever giving away its position.

source huff post





The UK doesnt put out a hell of a lot of hardware compared to the rest of the world but when it does it usually pretty decent.

Glad we are on the same team. Good Show UK!!

I'm sure every other country is excited...I'm sure it will crash at some point over some border...

a reply to: PhoenixOD

Links? I don't see anything in what is presented in the OP that this drone goes "invisible." And what do they even mean by that if it actually is stated some where? Does it go radar invisible? Optically invisible? Aurally invisibly? All of the latter?

I just hear some old puffy guy giving a sales pitch in the video with nothing to back up any claims of "invisibility."

BTW, nice looking drone though, but pretty don't win battles ;-)

Cheers - Dave

a reply to: bobs_uruncle

It was undetectable to the sensors used in the testing. Invisible just sounds cooler.

a reply to: chrismarco

It's a technology demonstrator. The only other country it's flown over is Australia. That's about the only other place it will fly, as it won't enter active service.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: bobs_uruncle

It was undetectable to the sensors used in the testing. Invisible just sounds cooler.

If I can see it or hear it, it ain't invisible. I guess then under their standards of warped definition, I could say the fero-polymer I developed (which has been under non-export and NS sanctions for about 15 years) for stealth applications makes anything coated with my product "invisible." We experience a -10db to -15db attenuation in radar signature. I don't think I could lie as much as some of the manufacturers, it's both arrogant and misleading, and the customer is going to find out in the end ;-)

BTW, as an ETA, the EMF Shield I developed and patented makes a person 100% invisible to electronic sensors by using destructive interference, I guess I can get some blondes to wear the devices, strip them down and tell them they are invisible. Oh, and don't bother with the reflection in the mirror, because they are the only ones who can see themselves. LOL

Cheers - Dave

a reply to: bobs_uruncle

But if you don't hear it because it's so quiet, or see it because of its size and the altitude it flies at, it's essentially invisible.

a reply to: bobs_uruncle

Sorry , ive added the links now

a reply to: bobs_uruncle

Well technically invisible is pertaining to vision , in visible. hearing it doesnt change that fact. But then again like zaphod said they probably meant invisible to radar judging by the quotation marks.

originally posted by: bobs_uruncle

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: bobs_uruncle

It was undetectable to the sensors used in the testing. Invisible just sounds cooler.

If I can see it or hear it, it ain't invisible. I guess then under their standards of warped definition, I could say the fero-polymer I developed (which has been under non-export and NS sanctions for about 15 years) for stealth applications makes anything coated with my product "invisible." We experience a -10db to -15db attenuation in radar signature. I don't think I could lie as much as some of the manufacturers, it's both arrogant and misleading, and the customer is going to find out in the end ;-)

BTW, as an ETA, the EMF Shield I developed and patented makes a person 100% invisible to electronic sensors by using destructive interference, I guess I can get some blondes to wear the devices, strip them down and tell them they are invisible. Oh, and don't bother with the reflection in the mirror, because they are the only ones who can see themselves. LOL

Cheers - Dave

Optical stealth technology has been developed. I'm fairly certain this drone doesn't use it however.

How many people actually look up at the sky? I know I do, but I am an tiny fraction of a percent of those that do. If something that size is flying at over 30k feet with a virtually silent propulsion system -- It would be hard to spot by eye.

a reply to: Zaphod58

I'm confident that some variant of this will absolutely enter service unbeknown to the public.

a reply to: chrismarco

Oh the technology for it will be used on future projects. That's why they have tech demonstrators. It just won't be under the Taranis moniker.

The Brits and their computer brains. Makes you wonder just what else they have but are keeping under wraps for themselves.

a reply to: Zaphod58

I don't know and nor do you know if this will truly only be flown as a tech demonstrator. There are plenty of these types of projects which have secretly further than just demonstrators.

Or that this could form a basis for an actual platform like the EAP demonstrator for the Eurofighter.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: bobs_uruncle

But if you don't hear it because it's so quiet, or see it because of its size and the altitude it flies at, it's essentially invisible.

Let's not argue definition, don't we already have to much of the wrong is right, bad is good and apprehension is tranquility, the new-speak in the world of the PC and politically warped.

Invisible means invisible. To another plane flying in moderate proximity, it would not be invisible. If it has ANY form of radar signature, it would not be invisible. If a person with field glasses on the ground can see it, it would not be invisible. If it leaves a contrail of any kind, you can find it, hence it is not invisible. If it has engines and those engines produce heat, it is not invisible.

Unseen, unheard, ignored, maybe, but certainly not invisible.

Cheers - Dave

originally posted by: PhoenixOD
a reply to: bobs_uruncle

Sorry , ive added the links now

Thanks, will check them out ;-)

Cheers - Dave

originally posted by: MystikMushroom

originally posted by: bobs_uruncle

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: bobs_uruncle

It was undetectable to the sensors used in the testing. Invisible just sounds cooler.

If I can see it or hear it, it ain't invisible. I guess then under their standards of warped definition, I could say the fero-polymer I developed (which has been under non-export and NS sanctions for about 15 years) for stealth applications makes anything coated with my product "invisible." We experience a -10db to -15db attenuation in radar signature. I don't think I could lie as much as some of the manufacturers, it's both arrogant and misleading, and the customer is going to find out in the end ;-)

BTW, as an ETA, the EMF Shield I developed and patented makes a person 100% invisible to electronic sensors by using destructive interference, I guess I can get some blondes to wear the devices, strip them down and tell them they are invisible. Oh, and don't bother with the reflection in the mirror, because they are the only ones who can see themselves. LOL

Cheers - Dave

Optical stealth technology has been developed. I'm fairly certain this drone doesn't use it however.

How many people actually look up at the sky? I know I do, but I am an tiny fraction of a percent of those that do. If something that size is flying at over 30k feet with a virtually silent propulsion system -- It would be hard to spot by eye.

I agree it would be hard to see, but I also watch the skies and the cost of IR and TIC cameras are coming down fast and well spaced parabolic mics are cheap. As well, I doubt it uses optical stealth technology, but again, con trails, sound, heat signatures ;-) All dead giveaways. Given half the money they spent to develop this drone, I bet I could knock it out of the sky. I developed weapons for the military and national security infrastructure, so I know the territory and there is a solution for every problem.

Cheers - Dave

a reply to: bobs_uruncle

Contrails can be prevented, and heat signature nullified.

Some more news about the tests:

"The challenge has not been to build the engine but to integrate it — to embed and hide the gas turbine, to minimise its thermal image and its infra-red signature and to minimise any sign there is an engine there," Conrad Banks, Rolls-Royce's chief engineer, said.

Read more: www.theweek.co.uk...