British engineers have just built the spy drone equivalent of James Bond.
What they built is Taranis, which is purportedly one of the most advanced drones in production to date. So far, based on the information recently released by its maker, BAE Systems, it appears that it has the suitable pedigree and mettle to be included in Her Majesty's service.
The most striking feature of Taranis is its sheer speed. It can reach as much as 700 miles per hour, an attribute that allows it to come and go without being detected by conventional radar technology.
The only indication that it has spied on its target is the sound of its sonic boom, Tech Insider reported. This is particularly interesting since the drone is the size of a school bus, according to Popular Science.
Watch Taranis make its first successful test flight in the video below.
In addition to its speed and stealth capability, Taranis is also able to spy, mark targets, carry out strikes and deter adversaries, according to BAE Systems website.
Like most drones, Taranis is remotely piloted by a human operator. But it is also capable of flying autonomously or firing on its own, possibly with an on-board AI at the helm. This is an issue that raises concerns in some sectors. For instance, there is the case of Elon Musk who warns against the danger of AI, as previously reported by HNGN.
Taranis is still being developed and the recent test flight was only a demonstration of some of its capabilities. The process, however, is shrouded in secrecy, which is expected in the caliber of technology being built.
