By ANDREW CHUTER
LONDON — A concept demonstrator aimed at putting Britain on the road to developing an unmanned air combat vehicle capability has been delivered to a flight test site in Australia and is scheduled to make its maiden flight within weeks, according to sources familiar with the program.
The concept demonstrator, known as Taranis, is sitting at the remote Woomera test center in South Australia in preparation for a first flight scheduled for September, said the sources, who asked not to be named.
The first flight follows a three-year delay and more than 55 million pounds (US $83.1 million) in additional costs caused by technical issues, an increase in the list of requirements and extended risk mitigation work on Taranis.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said the additional risk mitigation work was behind an increase in program costs to “around 180 million (pounds).”
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