BAE Systems is planning to begin test flights of its long-endurance unmanned air vehicle (UAV), dubbed The Mantis, in UK airspace in early 2013.
The drone is expected to undergo a total of 20 test flights covering 750 miles, with each lasting for around three hours, at an altitude of up to 15,000ft above the Irish Sea, as reported by The Daily Mail.
According to BAE, the UAV is currently being evaluated, prior to the start of self-funded taxi tests by the company next year.
BAE military aircraft head, Chris Boardman, told The Times: "It will take a decade to mature for production and operation the next generation of technology. We understand the constraints of the current financial climate but we need to start doing what we need to do."
The tests, if successful, are expected to mark an end for the use of fighter pilots in the UK, and will also bring down the curtain on conventional aircraft, such as the Lockheed Martin-built F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft.
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