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Future Royal Air Force Combat Concepts

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posted on Nov, 13 2007 @ 06:38 AM
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According to an MOD website, the Royal Air Force have recently flown a 'pilotless' passenger jet aircraft over the west country.

I have no idea when and exactly where this test flight took place, but it involved an unmodified BAC 1-11, a single Tornado F2 and originated from Boscombe Down, on Salisbury Plain.

According to the source, a 3 man crew flew the passenger aircraft in the general direction of the Bristol Channel and 'handed over' their aircraft to the Tornado pilot. The pilot, from Boscombes Fast Jet Test Squadron, then took control of the aircraft, flying it towards its intended target.

On board the BAC 1-11, were 3 other duplicate control equipments that mimicked the flight controls of 3 further UAVs.

These too were 'flown' successfully towards their targets by the test pilot, demonstrating 4 successful attacks on moving targets across Exemoor.

Apparently, the Tornado pilot flew all four UAVs across Exemoor, idenbtifying targets with another sortie to ensure no friendlies were in the area. The F2 pilot then gave the UAVs permission to 'execute' their attacks which were carried out successfully.

According to another spokesman from QinetiQ,

....but directing a number of UAVs from a manned aircraft close to the action, could offer significent military advantages.


The head of QinetiQ Air Division enthused saying that the system could well be deployed on the Typhoon -

sometime around 2020.


It is also presumed that the RAF's latest UAVs [TARANIS] will be incorporated into the programme by 2010, with a further civilian SAR asset coming on line sometime after.

This is a 'first' in the world of UAVs. But, does it mean the end of fighter aircraft as we know them?


[edit on 13-11-2007 by fritz]



posted on Nov, 14 2007 @ 03:08 PM
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Don't suppose you could provide a link? Sounds like an interesting trial.



posted on Nov, 14 2007 @ 05:12 PM
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Originally posted by Willard856 Don't suppose you could provide a link? Sounds like an interesting trial.


Done it mate. I've sent you a U2U.



posted on Nov, 14 2007 @ 05:15 PM
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Thought I was having a deja vu moment there, as I was sure I had seen this before. I am not entirely sure whether this was a different test, but this occured almost a year ago. Didn't mention anything about Teranis though, so maybe it is different and they are just playing around and improving it to see what is possible.

[edit on 14-11-2007 by tronied]



posted on Nov, 15 2007 @ 11:52 AM
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Originally posted by tronied
Thought I was having a deja vu moment there, as I was sure I had seen this before. I am not entirely sure whether this was a different test, but this occured almost a year ago. Didn't mention anything about Teranis though, so maybe it is different and they are just playing around and improving it to see what is possible. [edit on 14-11-2007 by tronied]


Yeah good spot mate. I think that was the original [maiden] flight, but this flight took place October this year and was successfully completed.

Unfortunately, it has disapeared from the source website and I am investigating.



posted on Nov, 16 2007 @ 12:37 PM
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Good post fritz, nicely spotted


I had seen the original story from last year but I didn't know they were continuing these tests. It ties in nicely with what I was told last year about the 'long term' intention to use the Typhoon in conjunction with UCAV's to replace the Tornado GR.4 with the Typhoon acting as 'flight leader' to multiple UCAV's. This idea was evolved from the axed FOAS study and the description you gave of that recent test flight fits like a glove.

It does look more like the end of the bomber as we know it rather than the end of the fighter, but if it all works out even that must be only a matter of time.

It conjures up an exciting image if we can pull it off, the concept even makes the B-2 look old fashioned


Being British however I can't shake the feeling that this exact idea will debut in successfully operational service before too many years pass, but in somebody else's air force.


[edit on 16-11-2007 by waynos]



posted on Nov, 17 2007 @ 03:37 AM
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Originally posted by waynos Good post fritz, nicely spotted.


Cheers my friend. I have been searching the computers at work and have rediscovered the article.

Unfortunately I cannot replicate the article in its entirety because, as I am unsure if it is in the public domain.

The TARANIS project is well in advance of the projected operational date and appears to be the vehicle most favoured for this type of offensive capability.

It could signal the end of the bomber Waynos and YES, it does make the B2 look 'olde worlde' - but at what cost?

Unless offensive UAVs are drastically reduced in size and weight and are manufactured with in-built explosives in some way, this could well turn out to be a very expensive exercise.

As to its operational debut Waynos, don't worry mate those Yanks won't get their sweaty little hands on it until it has been demonstrated that it can work.

We Brits will just send it to Afghanistan and use it, much in the same way we invented and built a scramjet aircraft and flew it - unannounced, some 5 or 6 years ago.

With typical Brit reserve, we'll just let others take the credit while quietly
'Ho-humming' in the background with a stiff upper lip.

[edit on 17-11-2007 by fritz]



posted on Nov, 17 2007 @ 04:58 AM
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Originally posted by fritz
much in the same way we invented and built a scramjet aircraft and flew it - unannounced, some 5 or 6 years ago.



Huh?! You don’t mean Shyfe do you, or the international Hyshot? The latter flew last year and the former is yet to do so, both are more missiles than controllable aircraft.

I’d love to hear more about that.



posted on Nov, 17 2007 @ 05:46 AM
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reply to post by fritz
 





It could signal the end of the bomber Waynos and YES, it does make the B2 look 'olde worlde' - but at what cost?



I don't know if this relates to what you were saying but one thing I do think is that, as far as the operator goes, it would be brilliant because the controlling aircraft can stay well out of harms way while the target is bombed without risk to (our) life and limb.

Conversely though it presents a real fear for the future when a force can engage in 'risk free' bombing, as secure as you ever can be in the knowledge that you are not going to lose aircrew. It cheapensd the whole act of going to war and makes confluict far too easy.

Of course we Brits would never do anything underhand like that, but what about when our friends get hold of it?



posted on Nov, 17 2007 @ 01:33 PM
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Originally posted by waynos
Being British however I can't shake the feeling that this exact idea will debut in successfully operational service before too many years pass, but in somebody else's air force.




Don't be silly...


There will be a full system ready to go.


Then the yanks will come in with a proposal for a joint effort. They'll then say they've done work in the area in the past, and that bringing the joint effort into service could be cheaper. Cue all the information on the local work getting sent over, with nothing coming back in return. The govt then cancel the homegrown system and decide to buy the "cheaper" American one.


The end result is half the capability for twice the cost with 4 times the delays in bringing it to service.



posted on Nov, 18 2007 @ 10:58 AM
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I think you missed a couple of points.....

The computer source codes will be changed and the US will refuse to transfer said source codes as being technology transfer too sensitive to share, and.....

Someone will then post an item on ATS about this 'Black US wonder weapon' that they have invented!


The Winged Wombat



posted on Nov, 19 2007 @ 02:11 PM
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kilcoo316 and The Winged Wombat, thanx for trying to turn my thread into another slagging match.

Mike_A I refer to a chapter in Jeremy Clarkson's book, 'And Another Thing'. He describes the flight of this aircraft, but only in passing.

Chris Barrie also mentioned 'Scramjet' technology and the flight, on his recent Channel Five show, 'Mean Machines'.



posted on Nov, 19 2007 @ 06:24 PM
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Thanks, any more details? I can't think of anything that fits the bill.



posted on Nov, 25 2007 @ 12:01 PM
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Originally posted by Mike_A Thanks, any more details? I can't think of anything that fits the bill.


There are my friend. but as the article appears on an 'in house' MOD website, I am afraid I cannot publish it, simpoly because its not in the public domain.



posted on Nov, 25 2007 @ 01:49 PM
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Fair enough, I’ll say no more about it.

On an absolutely, utterly, completely unrelated note can you tell me how to use the U2U function? :cough:



posted on Nov, 25 2007 @ 04:51 PM
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Originally posted by Mike_A On an absolutely, utterly, completely unrelated note can you tell me how to use the U2U function? :cough:


No probs, my friend. At the bottom of every post, reply or new thread, is a horizontal section containing the following links:

FRIEND; FOE; Profile; Posts; Thread & Send U2U.

All you have to do is LEFT CLICK on the u2u and the website does the rest. If however, you want to u2u somebody else, then you need to go to
Member Centre and create your U2U by searching site members and left click on send U2U.

I hope that has been of some help to you.



posted on Nov, 25 2007 @ 09:32 PM
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On an absolutely, utterly, completely unrelated note I think Fritz missed that U2U point entirely. Only on ATS...



posted on Nov, 26 2007 @ 12:58 AM
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Originally posted by WestPoint23 On an absolutely, utterly, completely unrelated note I think Fritz missed that U2U point entirely. Only on ATS...


Uuumm......................Westy...............eerrr..........No!

That's what I call sarcasm mate.



posted on Nov, 26 2007 @ 11:00 AM
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lol, worth a punt I guess.

Seriously though is there no other open source information on this scramjet aircraft; I'm racking my brain thinking of what it could refer to!



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