Fire Shadow
{{Short description|British cancelled loitering munition project}}
{{For|the novel|Fireshadow}}
Fire Shadow is a loitering munition designed by MBDA for the British Army.{{cite news|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/mbda-delivers-first-fire-shadow-loitering-weapons-369784/|access-date=21 March 2012|title=MBDA delivers first Fire Shadow loitering weapons|work=Flightglobal}} It is designed to loiter above the battlefield for up to 6 hours before attacking stationary or mobile targets. The cost of Phase 1 of the programme, including concept, assessment, demonstration and initial manufacture, was forecast at around £200 million in 2011.{{cite journal | url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm110711/text/110711w0002.htm#11071140000032 | title=House of Commons Written Answers | journal=Hansard | publisher=UK Parliament | date=11 July 2011}}
Design
Fire Shadow weighs less than 200 kg and is relatively cheap. It is surface-launched and has a range of approximately 100 km; it can fly to a target area and then loiter for approximately six hours before precision attack on a specific target. Test launches have been performed from a trailer on land.{{cite web|url=http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/blogs/defense/index.jsp?plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3A27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7Post%3A97f135e4-b749-4a70-a948-969f130ef764|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120721052618/http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/blogs/defense/index.jsp?plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog:27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7Post:97f135e4-b749-4a70-a948-969f130ef764|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 21, 2012|work=Aviation Week|title=Fire Shadow Takes To The Sea|access-date=21 March 2012}}
A Royal Navy brochure released in January 2009 revealed that Fire Shadow was compatible with the space envelope of the SYLVER vertical launch system of the Type 45 destroyer but this option has not been mentioned since the Strategic Defence and Security Review of 2010.{{cite web|url=http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/upload/pdf/08_489_HMS_daring_VIP_low_20090122125408.pdf|archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20090418161602/http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/upload/pdf/08_489_HMS_daring_VIP_low_20090122125408.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 April 2009|date=22 January 2009 | title=TYPE 45 - The Anti-Air Warfare Destroyer|publisher=Royal Navy|access-date=2010-06-08}} MBDA have pursued Maritime Fire Shadow as a private venture, with no customers as yet. Their marketing materials at DSEi in September 2011 showed what appeared to be a similar launcher to that used on land, lashed to the helicopter deck of a frigate or helicopter carrier.{{citation | url=http://www.meretmarine.com/article.cfm?id=117119 | title=MBDA propose une munition rodeuse pour les marines | trans-title=MBDA offers prowling ammunition for marines | language=French | access-date=5 April 2012 | publisher=Mer et Marine | date=16 September 2011}} Includes a video of a Chinook helicopter landing on a ship similar to HMS Ocean to deliver a Fire Shadow canister, which is then lashed to the deck and fired.
Progress and cancellation
The first complete test firing (a test of flight, navigation and control systems) took place on 21 November 2010 at Vidsel, Sweden, followed by a second on 13 May 2011.{{cite web|url=http://defense-update.com/20110914_fire-shadow-afghanistan.html|work=Defense Update|title=British Army Sets to Deploy Fire Shadow Loitering Weapons to Afghanistan by Early 2012| first=Tamir | last=Eshel | date=14 September 2011 | access-date=5 April 2012}} Operator training started in 2011,{{cite web | url=http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story.jsp?channel=awst&id=news/awst/2011/09/19/AW_09_19_2011_p38-370173.xml&headline=After%20Libya,%20Europe%20Eyes%20Precision%20Arms%20&next=10 | title=After Libya, Europe Eyes Precision Arms | date=23 September 2011 }}{{Dead link|date=November 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} with the first deliveries of production systems in March 2012.{{cite web | url=http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/mbda-delivers-first-fire-shadow-loitering-weapons-369784/ | publisher=Flight International | title=MBDA delivers first Fire Shadow loitering weapons | first= Craig | last= Hoyle | location= London | date= 21 Mar 2012}} It was planned that 39th Regiment Royal Artillery would be the first unit to receive the system{{dead link|date=July 2014}} and would deploy it operationally in Afghanistan by 2012. This plan, however, never materialised.
In 2013, the National Audit Office (NAO) reported in its 2013 Major Projects Report that after spending £207 million, the Ministry of Defence had yet to decide on a future for the project.{{cite web | url=http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/fresh-delay-hits-uk-complex-weapons-programmes-380855/| publisher=Flight International | title=Fresh delay hits UK complex weapons programmes | first= Craig | last= Hoyle | location= London | date= 10 Jan 2013}} However, Fire Shadow was listed in the National Audit Office's 2014 Major Projects Report as being among the eleven largest equipment projects where the Ministry of Defence has taken the main decision to invest.{{cite web|title=Major Projects Report 2014 and the Equipment Plan 2014 to 2024|url=http://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Major-projects-report-2014-and-the-equipment-plan-2014-to-2015.pdf|publisher=National Audit Office|access-date=13 January 2014}}{{Dead link|date=May 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} After a period in 'limbo' Fire Shadow was cancelled in the UK's 2017-2018 defence budget.{{Cite web|last=Bureau|date=25 July 2018|title=UK Scraps Fire Shadow Loitering Munitions Program Incurring Loss of $148 Million|url=https://www.defenseworld.net/news/23041/UK_Scraps_Fire_Shadow_Loitering_Munitions_Program_Incurring_Loss_of__148_Million#.Ycmjpy-l2u4|access-date=27 Dec 2021|website=Defense World}}