Fire Shadow
| Fire Shadow | |
|---|---|
| General Information | |
| Type | Cruise missiles |
| Local name | Fire Shadow |
| Manufacturer | MBDA |
| development | 2008 |
| Commissioning | 2012 |
| Technical specifications | |
| length | <4 m |
| Combat weight | <200 kg |
| drive | Piston engine |
| Range | ~ 100 km |
| Service ceiling | 15,000 ft |
| Lists on the subject | |
The Fire Shadow is a loitering weapon system ( cruise missile ) manufactured by MBDA , which is being developed for the British military . It has the ability to linger over the target area for up to six hours after take-off and then be assigned a target if necessary.
description
The Fire Shadow was developed with the aim of providing the Army with a comparatively inexpensive weapon that can strike with high precision at great distances. The Fire Shadow is started with the help of a rocket booster , and a piston engine provides propulsion during the cruise . The weapon has the ability to be started first, to circle over the target area for a long time in order to assign a target to it later ( Loitering Weapon ). For this purpose, it has a data link via which, on the one hand, images of the viewfinder can be transmitted to the ground station and, on the other hand, control and target data can be transmitted to the weapon. The Fire Shadow is not reusable. If it was started and no target was assigned to it, a self-destruction in the form of a controlled crash is initiated after the fuel supply for the drive motor has been used up.
development
Development began in 2008. The first flight took place in Vidsel on November 21, 2010 , followed by further flight attempts on May 13, 2011. Problems with the reliability of the weapon system have so far prevented operational use.
delivery
The Fire Shadow was originally intended to be used in Afghanistan from March 2012. However, due to political and technical problems, this mission was postponed.
Individual evidence
- ↑ FlightGlobal: MBDA delivers first Fire Shadow loitering weapons. Retrieved January 10, 2013 .
- ↑ a b c Fire Shadow Weapon System. (PDF; 243 kB) MBDA, archived from the original on May 10, 2012 ; accessed on February 9, 2016 .
- ↑ engadget.com: Fire Shadow missile can remain aloft for six hours before obliterating a moving target. Retrieved January 10, 2013 .
- ↑ a b dailymail.co.uk: The lurker bomb that can hover for ten hours ... and then strike its target in the space of a minute. Retrieved January 10, 2013 .
- ↑ British Army sets to Deploy Fire Shadow Loitering Weapons to Afghanistan by early 2012. Accessed January 10, 2013 .
- ↑ suasnews.com: Fire Shadow loitering ammunition. Retrieved January 10, 2013 .
- ^ A b British Army to conduct test launch of the Fire Shadow Missile. In: British Defense. Archived from the original on February 15, 2013 ; accessed on February 9, 2016 .
- ↑ a b FlightGlobal: Fresh delay hits UK complex weapons programs. Retrieved January 10, 2013 .