Dubai Airshow: BAE Mantis UAV model shows potential

It subsequently completed a series of trials demonstrating the capability and potential of the aircraft to fulfil a range of future UK Ministry of Defence requirements, and proving the feasibility of a national UK MALE (Medium Altitude Long Endurance) unmanned aerial system.

MANTIS operates with hitherto unmatched levels of autonomy, increasing the focus on the mission, and reducing the attention normally paid to vehicle control. This reduces the need for communications/data links between the vehicle and the ground, and minimising the scope for accidents caused by human error.

Though MANTIS is an extremely advanced and ambitious next-generation unmanned aircraft system, it has gone from concept to flight in just 19 months.