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).”
The original budget when the program was launched in 2005 was 124 million pounds. By 2011, the delays and requirement changes had driven Taranis costs up to 142 million pounds.
As I understand it, it was also supposed to have flown recently and has slipped again (don't know why).
Even the French look fed up with their own version of Waste O'Space and are buying Reaper -
DSCA Informs Congress of Intention To Sell Reapers to France | Defense News | defensenews.com It looks like Telemos announced 2 years ago is dead then
http://www.baesystems.com/article/BA...%3Dzxv4gb0iw_4
It all boils down to these big companies not listening to their customer and trying to tell them what they want. That's the difference with General Atomics, they listen, they understand what the customer wants and then they deliver through development using their own money...much that it pains me to stick up for a US company. Our companies would do well to replicate their example
LJ