EXCLUSIVE – The Ministry of Defence has confirmed to The UK Defence Journal the cancellation of the Shadow Mk2 upgrade programme after it failed to deliver the performance required by the Armed Forces and faced escalating costs and delays.
We reached out after a source in industry made us aware of the plans. A Ministry spokesperson told the UK Defence Journal that the programme “has been cancelled as it failed to deliver the capability that our Armed Forces need. It was also facing unacceptable cost escalations and delays.”
Sources indicated that the decision was taken ahead of the forthcoming Defence Investment Plan due to what were described as acute programme challenges.
The Shadow Mk2 project was intended to upgrade the RAF’s fleet of Beechcraft-based surveillance aircraft with upgraded mission systems, defensive technology, and enhanced range. Instead, attention will now turn to sustaining the current Mk1 fleet, which remains in operational service with 14 Squadron at RAF Waddington.
The Ministry said the decision would allow funding to be redirected to other capabilities, telling me: “This will allow us to focus on investing in other defence priorities and Shadow Mk1, which remains important for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance work.”
“We won’t shy away from making difficult decisions that arise in the best interests of our Armed Forces and the taxpayer.”
It is understood that maintaining the Mk1 aircraft ensures continuity in intelligence and reconnaissance missions while allowing the RAF to plan for future airborne surveillance solutions under the Defence Investment Plan. The Shadow platform has been a key asset in UK operations abroad, providing near-real-time battlefield intelligence and situational awareness.
The Ministry also underlined its continuing commitment to the defence industry in Wales, where Shadow production and maintenance have contributed to hundreds of skilled jobs. “Wales, and its innovative defence sector, plays an important role in the UK’s defence industrial landscape,” the spokesperson said. “We’re working closely with the Welsh Government on the Defence Growth Deals to ensure it delivers its full potential long into the future.”
Government data show Wales received £1.1 billion in defence spending last year, supporting nearly 4,000 jobs across shipbuilding, aerospace and advanced manufacturing. While the Shadow Mk2’s cancellation marks a setback for local industry, the Ministry insists that defence investment in Wales remains a priority within its wider strategy to sustain sovereign capability and modernise the UK’s intelligence and surveillance fleet.
Remember everyone, this goverment claims we are on a ‘War footing’.
ISR is one of the ways we can meaningfully contribute to a potential conflict in Europe, even more so considering our lack of fast frontline jets …
But if it wasn’t delivering the expected capability then is this an issue that the contractors were not up to the task? Or that we couldnt afford it and cut costs? We keep doing projects it seems our defence industry has no clue how to deliver; ajax, chally3, bowman, morpheus, nimrod.
Other than ships/fighter jets/missiles (spear, meteor, starstreak/llm) we seem to have lost all credibility and capability. Certainly in the armoured space. Even with missiles we dont make ASTER is our main armament for the ships…
A good chunk of this is of course down the budgets and MoD mismanagement over the last 25 years or so, never actually commiting to something and just placing actual orders, always projects to try this and that, change requirements, run competitions and evaluations. 100 of something that does the job is better than 0 of nothing.
BeaconL, what do you see the problems are with the Chally 3 project?
The UK defence industry did not have the capability to produce the gun, and BAE had to sell the majority of its telford operation (51%) to rheinmetall (forming RBSL) to get it over the line.
That a conversion of chally 2 to 3, with a fixed grand total of 148 units, is taking as long as it is, and costing as much as it is. This project was actually the ‘capability sustainment programme’ CSP which was quietly cancelled and later replaced with the ‘Life Extension Programme’ (LEP) which was eventually turned into Challenger 3 which is actually just Challenger 2B.
Defence Select Committee critisized the hell out of LEP, budgets totally blown with nothing to show for it.
We might end up with a good product in the end, but its already on the verge of obsolete and coming up to par with the latest generation of Abrams or Leopard, maybe a bit better, while they’re all busy looking at the next generation [130mm gun, anti-drone capabilites etc]
Yes, it’s just that very expensive slow moving turbo prop is probably not the best way to do that in face of a modern surface to air missile threat or the ability of a near pier adversary to take out air bases hundreds of miles away.
War footing – the clowns in charge meant backwards!!
Looks on paper to be a good decision, which may have saved millions of wasted money. More such actions might avoid mistakes like Warrior Upgrade and Nimrod, which resulted in horrendous expenditure for nothing. The new inner workings inside the MOD just might signal the end of the alleged get-rich-quick defence projects of the past?
The upgrade has already been carried out on USAF and US armyversions. There is no risk, its all about not spending money. We will end up with obsolete platforms just like AMAC and Sential. Don’t be surprised to see this platform axed in the near future.
Except the the USAF and US Army don’t operate the Shadow R1 Aircraft…
Yes they do they are known as MC-12W Liberty aircraft.
The US does not use shadow R1 or Mk2.
But they do use Beechcraft King Airs, on which our Shadow are based on, including for Special Operations roles probably not dissimilar to this. I recall when the first 4 King Air were delivered to the UK, I read they were located at RAF Syerston, of all places.
It’s a fecking American Aircraft!
I think you’re clutching at straws Maurice. There is only one thing on this governments mind and that is to talk big, deliver nothing and get away with it.
I fear you are right. Rachel has trashed the economy & there is no extra money for defence.
Economy has been trashed passed couple of decades. Going to take ages to fix this country.
The Bulldust these spokesman come out with.
This government has no intention whatsoever of spending a penny more than it has to on defence.
““We won’t shy away from making difficult decisions that arise in the best interests of our Armed Forces and the taxpayer.”
What a peach…there was a list of cancelled programs and written off costs totalling around 1.6 billion released the other day, so I hope we did not spend too much money which is now wasted. Best interests of the taxpayer my ****.
“Best interests of the Armed Forces”… you’re removing their assets BY THE WEEK and not replacing them so leave that out as well.
Sentinel was cut on the excuse that it was “obsolete” and that was not updated in its service, so I hope the same fate ( and excuse ) does not fall on these assets further down the line.
Shadow. One of our key ISTAR capabilities which I understand also took on part / some of the role of the AAC Defender/Islanders of 5 AAC which were first passed onto the RAF, then quietly done away with.
They may also carry out some of the taskings of the old RAF Northolt Station Flights 3 Islanders, who’s role was also passed to 3 civilian registered aircraft, Piper Navajo PA31s G-SCIR / G-SCTR / G-SCMR. These, and Shadows, can be seen circling over towns and cities of Britain and involved in COMINT regards the enemy within who live below, data of which is passed to the Security Service and to GCHQ.
Sadly 3 R1s were handed over to Raytheon UK for conversion and never given back.., they should have been back in service as MK2s in 2024… sounds like Raytheon took Humpty Dumpty apart and could not put him back again.. the worry is that only leaves 3 R1s left unless the three can be put back together as R1s.
There were meant to be 8, 2 more announced years back. So maybe that was all ******* as well.
It angers me.
You wait, They’ll be replaced by Drones soon !
“….. upgraded mission systems, defensive technology, and enhanced range”. I wonder if just one or two of these upgrades could have been completed, if not all of them? “…. and enhance range” sounds (albeit simplistic to me) like adding fuel tanks to the wings, or something like that. Wouldn’t that be a feasible, relatively inexpensive upgrade to do, if not some of the more complex technological upgrades but, in doing so, we’d have a Mk1 with extended range, at least?
or extended range could also mean improved engines with better fuel efficiency? if so that isn’t cheap
It does sound like something went wrong with this programme as the first three upgraded aircraft were meant to back with the RAF in 2024…
For me a couple of questions
1) will the three beachcrofts that were being upgraded be returned to the RAF in working order as MK1s
2) will the RAF get the 2 new extra aircraft as planned but to the Mk1 standard..
If Raytheon UK have managed to trash half the shadow R1 fleet that’s a bit of an issue.
The problem is almost certainly the bright ideas club trying to produce something extra special.
Defense investment plan = massive cuts.
And That’s what makes me so Irate, paying all these Taxes and no one is ever held to account.
Now I understand….
Well I wish I could.
What was the question again ?
They talk as if making a “difficult ” decision is a virtue. It’s not for them, they love disposing of assets. Rolling the pitch before the MOD scrap them claiming obsolescence.
Meanwhile, ” increased lethality, more agile, world beating, defending every inch…..” etc.
Absolute bullshit.