The Future is here! Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has launched a 41 mn euro programme to develop the futuristic flying car. It is all set to debut against the Taliban forces in Afghanistan.
The vehicle - which uses composite armour to protect crew from gunfire, IED blasts and missiles - would be able to travel 280 miles by land or in the air. It could take-off and land vertically - like the Royal Navy's Harrier jump jets - to increase access to rugged terrain.
Fitted with automatic flight controls, it could be flown by someone who was not a qualified pilot - increasing its flexibility.
And it would be fitted with machineguns and cannons to kill and maim attacking insurgents.
Convertible: The vehicle's wings fold away so it can operate like any other armoured car
The 20ft car could reach speeds of around 65mph on the ground and more than 150mph in the air.
A prototype of the vehicle, dubbed the Transformer, or TX, could be ready by 2015 when British and U.S. troops are still in Afghanistan.
A DARPA spokesman said: 'We are seeking to combine the advantages of ground vehicles and helicopters into a single vehicle equipped with flexibility of movement.
'The concept is to provide options to avoid traditional and asymmetrical threats while avoiding road obstructions.
'With this type technology, transportation will no longer be restricted to trafficable terrain that tends to make movement predictable.'
Terrafugia, a company which has already pioneered a flying car for commercial use, has been drafted in to help produce a prototype armoured truck.
The commercial vehicle, which costs about £132,000 - a similar price to a Ferrari - has wings rather than rotor blades with a 27ft span when lowered. This means it needs 1,700 of clear road to take-off.
A military source said: 'We take an interest in the development of all new technology that may have the potential to help our Armed Forces, no matter how ambitious they may appear to be.'
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