News

Mantis maiden flight this month

May 07, 2009

BAE Systems is to fly its Mantis UAV later this month.

The news was revealed by MD of Military Air Solutions at BAE Systems, Kevin Taylor, speaking at the Shephard-organised RAF Air Power conference this week.

The twin-engined, medium-altitude, long-endurance UAV, first unveiled at the Farnborough Airshow last year, has been under construction at the BAE facility at Warton in Lancashire since late last year.

Mr Taylor said he could not provide an exact first flight date as this depended on range slots at the flight test centre at Woomera, South Australia.

Mr Taylor said: "Mantis delivers the medium altitude and long endurance required today by our armed forces," and added that the aircraft's rapid development had proved the company's rapid engineering techniques.

by Tony Osborne - UVOnline Editorial Team