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Team LM refines FireShadow loitering munition for early operational use
By Rupert Pengelley
22 September 2009
Half-scale model of the ‘early capability’ FireShadow loitering munition, with its Selex sensor head, wide-chord wings, and waffle-plate stabilisers. (IHS Jane’s/Rupert Pengelley)
Test-firings of the developmental FireShadow loitering munition (LM) are expected to resume in Sweden in mid-2010.
FireShadow is being developed under contract to the UK Ministry of Defence by the Team LM industrial consortium. This is led by MBDA and includes Blue Bear Systems Research, Cranfield Aerospace, Cranfield University, Lockheed Martin UK INSYS, Marshalls SV, Meggitt, QinetiQ, Roxel, Selex Galileo, Thales UK, Ultra Electronics and VEGA.
The consortium began work on the FireShadow assessment phase in January 2007, the first demonstrator was fired in April 2008 and the second in May this year.
Prompted by the earlier flights and parallel wind-tunnel testing, the third demonstrator will embody a number of design changes now planned for an 'early capability' (EC) operational version of FireShadow which it is anticipated could reach the hands of troops in early 2011. Some of these were reflected in a half-scale model shown at the DSEi exhibition in London in early September.