日期英國國防部推出了一款無人機，該機是應該首個自動駕駛是智能隱形無人戰斗轟炸機。

Taranis brings together a number of British-developed technologies for the first time in a craft designed to seek out and destroy enemy targets without a human pilot.

Taranis（它是以雷電之神凱爾特為名）將英國開發的一系列技術首次應用其中，為了設計出一種可以尋找并摧毀敵方目標的無人戰機。

An audience of MoD officials, industry specialists and journalists received a short glimpse of the aircraft – developed over three and a half years for a cost of £142.5m – on Monday at BAE Systems’ base in Warton, Lancashire.

該機研發耗時3年半，耗資1億4千2百50萬英鎊，它在周一的BAE系統公司位于Lancashire的Warton基地展出，并對國防部的官員、行業專家和記者們進行了短時間的展示。

The wedge-shaped craft is about the size of a BAE Systems Hawk − around 12m long with a wingspan of 10m. It was developed under a joint contract between BAE Systems, DE and S, GE Aviation, Qinetiq and Rolls Royce.

這個楔形的飛行器大小和BEA系統公司生產的“鷹”（Hawk）噴氣飛機差不多，長12米翼展10米；參與這一飛行器開發的公司有：BEA系統公司、DE&S、GE航空部、Qinetiq、和勞斯萊斯公司。

Referred to as an ’unmanned combat air vehicle’ (UCAV), Taranis has the ability to take off and fly a pre-programmed mission to as far away as another continent, as well as to identify targets and request permission to attack them, all without human intervention.

Taranis被稱為“無人戰斗機”（UVAV），它可以自行起降通過預先編程設定任務并進行洲際攻擊，一旦確定攻擊目標和攻擊許可，它可以在無人干預的情況下完成任務。

The MoD was keen to stress that any operational vehicle would not leave human control.

但國防部強調要保證飛機的任何行動都要在人的控制之下。

‘It is designed to be, at all times, under the control of a highly trained military operator on the ground and can be operated remotely,’ said Gerald Howarth, minister for international security strategy (ISS).

國際安全戰略部（ISS）部長Gerald Howarth說：“它被設計成在任何時候都要受到一個經過嚴格訓練的地面操作人員的控制，并可以進行遠程操作。”

Asked if UCAVs would ever be allowed to engage enemy targets without human permission, air chief marshal Simon Bryan, commander in chief of the UK’s Air Command, said: ‘This is a very sensitive area that we are paying a lot of attention to.’

當被問及無人機是否可以在無人控制的情況下攻擊敵方目標時，英國空軍司令Simon Bryan元帥說：“這是一個十分敏感的問題，我們將會慎重考慮。”

The first flight test will take place in 2011 and weapons capabilities will be simulated. The MoD will use Taranis as a demonstrator to make decisions about what future UK combat craft would be able to do, but it is likely to be at least 2018 before any vehicle goes into production.

該機的首次飛行測試將在2011年進行，而攻擊能力測試采用模擬的方式進行。國防部將Taranis作為一個決定英國未來戰斗機發展方向的一個驗證，但要進入批量生產至少要等到2018年。

‘I anticipate that whatever goes into service will not look like Taranis but will have the technologies developed for it,’ said Nigel Whitehead, BAE’s managing director for programmes and support.

BEA系統公司項目與支持管理中心主任Nigel Whitehead說：“我預計無論Taranis是否服役，這些技術都會被開發。”

Taranis’s biggest technical achievement is the combination of a variety of elements within one vehicle, including autonomy systems developed for existing unmanned craft such as BAE’s Mantis, said Whitehead.

Whitehead說，Taranis最大的技術成果就是將一系列技術在一架飛機上實現，這些技術包括為現有無人機開發自動駕駛技術，如BEA的Mantis系統。

‘A number of the individual technologies involved have been looked at in the past, but bringing them all together was a considerable challenge.’

“一系列的獨立的技術開發已經成為過去，但將他們組合起來是一個挑戰。”

Other specific technological issues that the Taranis designers faced included positioning the craft’s power source within the middle of the body to help make it invisible to enemy sensors across the electromagnetic spectrum.

Taranis的設計者面臨的其他特定的技術難題包括將飛機的動力源放到飛機的中央，以保證它在穿越敵方電磁陣時不被發現。

‘The configuration of the unusual aerodynamics was also a considerable challenge,’ said Whitehead. ‘The craft is finless, so we had to find a way to create directional stability.’

Whitehead說：“非常規的空氣動力學外形也是一個挑戰，飛行器沒有垂直穩定翼，所以我們必須找到一種方法以使飛行方向具有穩定性。”

One of the aims of Taranis was to use only British technology and skills, and the result is a craft that the team claims is unique outside of the US.

設計Taranis時其中一個目標就是采用英國獨有的技術和工藝，但結果卻是不得不求助美國而采用了美國的獨有技術。

‘Based on the information I have, we have capabilities that our European counterparts are envious of, particularly in autonomy,’ said Whitehead.

Whitehead說：“據我所知，我們的技術在歐洲是領先的，特別是在智能控制方面。”

Howarth admitted that the MoD was in discussion with French officials to see if working on bilateral programme would be practical.

Howarth承認國防部與法國討論過雙邊合作計劃的可行性問題。

The £142.5m of funds used to develop Taranis will take the project to the end of the first flight phase, after which the MoD will have to make a decision about future requirements before further work can continue.

1億4千2百50萬英鎊的研發資金是在Taranis飛行測試完成前的經費，而下一步工作要等到國防部決定未來的需求時這一計劃才會被繼續。

In-depth coverage of the Taranis project can be read by clicking here.