IDEF 2025: Shadow 50 Loitering Munition Expands Deep-Strike Precision Against Fixed Targets.

At the IDEF 2025 exhibition in Istanbul, the Emirati company ADASI, part of the EDGE group, presents the SHADOW 50, a loitering munition-type drone designed to provide armed forces with long-range precision strike capability. This unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is intended to neutralize fixed targets through extended endurance, a significant payload capacity, and advanced navigation systems. Designed for modern combat environments, it combines range, persistence, and accuracy to meet the tactical requirements of current conflicts.
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Operationally, the SHADOW 50 is suited for deep interdiction or harassment missions against command posts, radar systems, or logistics depots (Picture source: Army Recognition)

The SHADOW 50 is equipped with advanced guidance architecture and an onboard video navigation system that enables precise strikes with an explosive payload of up to 50 kg. It has an operational range of 250 kilometers and an endurance of 9 hours, allowing it to remain over or near the target area for extended periods. It tracks targets using a combination of GNSS navigation, optical guidance, and visual navigation, ensuring operational reliability even in degraded or contested electromagnetic environments.

Technically, the SHADOW 50 has a wingspan of 3.47 meters, a length of 2.13 meters, and a maximum take-off weight of 135 kg. It cruises at 167 km/h and can reach a maximum altitude of 12,500 feet. The data link range is 100 km, ensuring a stable connection with the operator during the mission. It can be launched using a pneumatic system or from a canister equipped with a rocket booster, allowing for rapid deployment in the field.

Operationally, the SHADOW 50 is suited for deep interdiction or harassment missions against command posts, radar systems, or logistics depots. Its long endurance and terminal precision make it effective for overwhelming enemy defenses, engaging time-sensitive targets identified in real time, or supporting maneuver operations by neutralizing opposing reaction capabilities. Its discreet aerodynamic profile and flexible launch options allow deployment from remote areas or mobile platforms, including austere or semi-urban environments.

The use of loitering munitions like the SHADOW 50 has increased significantly on recent battlefields since the early 2020s. Positioned between ISR drones and direct-strike weapons, these systems have been employed in recent conflicts, including in Ukraine, Nagorno-Karabakh, and Yemen. Their emergence is driven by the need for more responsive, cost-effective, and precise solutions to engage point targets in both asymmetric and high-intensity warfare. Their repeated use reflects an ongoing doctrinal shift, as armed forces now integrate loitering munitions as first-strike tools or as complements to conventional artillery. Their proven effectiveness and ease of integration into both regular and irregular units suggest their continued and expanded use in future conflicts.

ADASI, part of the EDGE group and based in the United Arab Emirates, is becoming a key player in the loitering munition sector. By presenting the SHADOW 50 at IDEF 2025, the company signals its intention to offer offensive systems aligned with evolving doctrines in drone warfare. The growing presence of such systems illustrates a structural transformation of the battlefield, marked by the spread of kamikaze drones as tools for low-cost, high-impact strikes, readily adaptable to hybrid and irregular warfare strategies.