An unmanned jet capable of striking long-range targets has been dubbed the "combat aircraft of the future" by the Ministry of Defence.
The Taranis -- named after the Celtic god of thunder -- was unveiled at a ceremony at BAE Systems in Warton, Lancashire, on Monday.
The £142.5 million prototype is the size of a light aircraft and has been equipped with stealth technology to make it virtually undetectable.
In a press release, the MoD described the Taranis as "a prototype unmanned combat aircraft of the future."
It is built to carry out intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions while its crew stays safely on the ground and can control the aircraft from anywhere in the world.
Thunder only sounds like something powerful, but is just a jet-powered drone, however, that is merely a step up from the slower and vulnerable drones we use now. It signifies nothing revolutionary, although it will surely be able to operate in a higher threat environment than our operational drones can manage.
The fighter of the future will be flown by its own computer and not by operators on the ground. That will be the lightning representing the true combat aircraft of the future.
