DTN News - DRONE NEWS: British 'Superdrone' Robot Plane Could Fly 'Within Weeks'

DTN News - DRONE NEWS: British 'Superdrone' Robot Plane Could Fly 'Within Weeks'

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources By Timur Moon - International Business Time
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - January 29, 2013: A unmanned British combat drone could be deployed in the front line of the war on terror in regions such as North Africa and the Middle East, if a forthcoming test flight in Australia is successful.

The performance of the eight-ton Taranis "superdrone" will be monitored by Ministry of Defence officials, after the long-awaited flight was delayed by stringent aviation laws in the UK, and repeated technical setbacks.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said: "Taranis is a trailblazing project that reflects the very best of our nation's advanced design and technology skills and is a leading programme on the global stage.

"Forthcoming Taranis trials will provide further information about the potential capabilities of Unmanned Combat Air Systems.

"Unmanned Aerial Vehicles play an important role in operations, helping reduce the risks faced by military personnel."

British armed forces currently operate drones only against suspected Taliban militants in Afghanistan. But advances in US military technology have sparked a global arms race for drones, and the Ministry of Defence is now committed to developing a new generation of pilotless aircraft with a range of more than 2,000 miles.

The Taranis, manufactured by BAE, supersedes US models by incorporating a customised Rolls-Royce jet engine rather than a propeller.

Britain's fleet of armed drones are currently piloted by crews of ground control units. But Taranis will incorporate technology allowing it to use on-board computers to perform airborne manoeuvres, avoid threats and identify targets. Ground crews will only be consulted to gain authorisation for an attack.

Controversy surrounding the use of aerial drones has been highlighted by the UN, which began an investigation last week into deaths caused by drone attacks.

A spokesman for BAE said: "Taranis is a joint BAE-MoD programme and we are not at liberty to confirm any details of the forthcoming flight, including the location, timing or who may be present."

BAE unveiled Taranis in a glossy presentation two years ago. To see it, click on the YouTube video.

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TUESDAY, JULY 13, 2010

DTN News: UK Unveils Taranis Unmanned Combat Jet Prototype

DTN News: UK Unveils Taranis Unmanned Combat Jet Prototype

Source: DTN News - this article / report compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources BBC News & BAE Systems

(NSI News Source Info) WARTON/LONDON, U.K. - July 13, 2010: The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has unveiled a prototype of its first unmanned combat aircraft. The plane will test the possibility of developing a stealth jet fighter with no pilots.

The MoD says the Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) would be able to precisely strike targets at long range and would be controlled by military crews on the ground.

Speaking at its unveiling in Lancashire, minister for international security strategy Gerald Howarth said: "Taranis is a truly trailblazing project."

"The first of its kind in the UK, it reflects the best of our nation's advanced design and technology skills and is a leading programme on the global stage." Flight trials of the prototype unmanned combat aircraft will start next year.

Named after the Celtic god of thunder, the concept demonstrator will test the possibility of developing the first ever autonomous stealthy Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) that would ultimately be capable of precisely striking targets at long range, even in another continent.Should such systems enter into service, they will at all times be under the control of highly trained military crews on the ground.

Speaking at the unveiling ceremony at BAE Systems in Warton, Lancashire, Minister for International Security Strategy Gerald Howarth said: “Taranis is a truly trailblazing project. The first of its kind in the UK, it reflects the best of our nation’s advanced design and technology skills and is a leading programme on the global stage.”

Representing the pinnacle of UK engineering and aeronautical design, Taranis is an informal partnership of the UK MoD and industry talents including BAE Systems, Rolls Royce, QinetiQ and GE Aviation.

Speaking on behalf of the industry team, Nigel Whitehead, Group managing director of BAE Systems' Programmes & Support business, said: "Taranis has been three and a half years in the making and is the product of more than a million man-hours. It represents a significant step forward in this country's fast-jet capability. This technology is key to sustaining a strong industrial base and to maintain the UK's leading position as a centre for engineering excellence and innovation."

The Taranis prototype will provide the UK MoD with critical knowledge on the technical and manufacturing challenges and the potential capabilities of Unmanned Combat Air Systems. or further information, please contact: Sqn Ldr Bruno Wood at UK Ministry of Defence Press

Office Tel:             +44 (0) 207 218 1534      ,

Tim Foreman at the DE&S Press

OfficeMob:             +44 (0) 7990 506591      

Adam Morrison, BAE Systems

Tel:             + 44 (0)1772 852714      

Mob:             + 44 (0)7525 390393      

Email: adam.morrison@baesystems.com

Leonie Foster, BAE Systems plc

Tel:             +44 (0) 1252 383777      

Mob:             +44 (0) 7540 630168      

Email: leonie.foster@baesystems.com Issued by: BAE Systems, Farnborough, Hampshire GU14 6YU, UK

Tel:             +44 (0) 1252 384719       Fax: +44 (0) 1252 38394724

hr media hotline:             + 44 (0) 7801 717739      

http://www.baesystems.com/ Ministry of Defence (MoD) Related News:

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*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources By Timur Moon - International Business Time
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
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DTN News: Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Says Sept. 11 Attacks A 'Big Lie'

DTN News: Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Says Sept. 11 Attacks A 'Big Lie' Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) TEHRAN, Iran - March 7, 2010: Iran's hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Saturday called the official version of the Sept. 11 attacks a "big lie" used by the U.S. as an excuse for the war on terror, state media reported. Ahmadinejad's comments, made during an address to Intelligence Ministry staff, come amid escalating tensions between the West and Tehran over its disputed nuclear program. They show that Iran has no intention of toning itself down even with tighter sanctions looming because of its refusal to halt uranium enrichment. "September 11 was a big lie and a pretext for the war on terror and a prelude to invading Afghanistan," Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying by state TV. He called the attacks a "complicated intelligence scenario and act."

The Iranian president has questioned the official U.S. version of the Sept. 11 attacks before, but this is the first time he ventured to label it a "big lie." In 2007, New York officials rejected Ahmadinejad's request to visit the World Trade Center site while he was in the city for a U.N. meeting. The president also sparked an uproar when he said during a lecture in New York that the causes and conditions that led to the attacks, as well as who orchestrated them, still need to be examined. At the time, he also told Iranian state TV the attacks were "a result of mismanaging and inhumane managing of the world by the U.S," and that Washington was using Sept. 11 as an excuse to attack others. He has also questioned the Sept. 11 death toll of around 3,000, claiming the Americans never published the victims' names. On the 2007 anniversary of the attacks, the names of 2,750 victims killed in New York were read aloud at a memorial ceremony.

DTN News: BREAKING NEWS Pakistan TODAY November 2, 2009 ~ Blast In Pakistan's Rawalpindi Kills 24

DTN News: BREAKING NEWS Pakistan TODAY November 2, 2009 ~ Blast In Pakistan's Rawalpindi Kills 24 *Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) RAWALPINDI, Pakistan - November 2, 2009: A suspected Taliban suicide bomb killed at least 24 people in the Pakistani city of Rawalpindi on Monday, officials said, as the government announced a reward for the capture, dead or alive, of the group's leader.A Pakistani rescue worker stands at the site of bomb explosion outside a bank in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Monday, Nov. 2, 2009. An explosion occurred near Pakistan's capital Monday, the latest in a wave of attacks by militants since the army launched a new offensive against them last month. Pakistan Taliban militants are being squeezed out of their remote strongholds on the Afghan border by a massive army offensive, and have retaliated by stepping up bomb attacks and commando-style raids on urban targets. The army offensive is being closely watched by the U.S. and other powers embroiled in neighboring Afghanistan, as the border area has become a sanctuary for insurgent groups from both countries as well as foreign al Qaeda militants. "It was a suicide attack. So far, 24 people have been killed," Imdadullah Bosal, Rawalpindi's administration chief, told Reuters. The blast came as the Pakistan government announced rewards of up to $5 million for information leading to the capture, dead or alive, of Pakistani Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud and more than a dozen other leaders. With the army involved in the offensive against Hakimullah and his followers in their South Waziristan strongholds, the militants have retaliated by stepping up a bombing campaign against urban targets across the country.Pakistani rescue workers prepare to remove a body from the site of bomb explosion outside a bank in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Monday, Nov. 2, 2009. An explosion occurred near Pakistan's capital Monday, the latest in a wave of attacks by militants since the army launched a new offensive against them last month.

The attack in Rawalpindi, a large sprawling city that twins the smaller, administrative capital, Islamabad, took place in an area that is home to the army headquarters as well as some hotels. "It was a huge blast. Smoke is rising from the scene," Nasir Naqvi, who runs a travel agency near the site of the blast, told Reuters. Officials said many of the victims were elderly people who had gathered at a bank to withdraw their pensions. TV stations showed ambulances and police vehicles racing through the streets, sirens wailing. WANTED, DEAD OR ALIVE The announcement of the bounty on Hakimullah's head was made through newspaper advertisements as security forces zeroed in on his Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (Taliban Movement of Pakistan) strongholds in South Waziristan. "These people are definitely killers of humanity and deserve exemplary punishment," read the front-page advertisement, with photographs of Hakimullah and seven senior lieutenants in The News. "Help the government of Pakistan so that these people meet their nemesis." A reward of over $600,000 each was announced for Hakimullah, his top aide Wali-ur-Rehman, and his cousin, Qari Hussain Mehsud, who is known as "the mentor of suicide bombers." The trio spoke last month to a group of journalists in Sararogha, a major Taliban base in South Waziristan, but have not been sighted since. Security forces have captured Kotkai, the birthplace of Hakimullah and hometown of Hussain, in the Waziristan offensive, and on Sunday the military said it was on the outskirts of Sararogha and Makeen, also strongholds of Hakimullah. In the deadliest militant attack in more than two years, more than 100 people were killed and scores more wounded on Wednesday when a car bomb detonated in a crowded market in the northwest frontier city of Peshawar. In a related development, the United Nations on Tuesday announced it had raised a security alert for the Northwest Frontier Province and Federally Administered Tribal Areas -- which include Waziristan -- ordering all non-essential international staff to leave.