The British Army has reportedly taken delivery of a missile which can stay aloft for six hours before hitting a moving target.
The Fire Shadow missile is made by the French company MBDA.
Once launched it has a range of 62 miles and can stay in the air circling a large area before eventually targeting a moving vehicle or sea vessel.
It weighs about 200 kilograms, and can be used at day or night. The missile has 'wings' and can fly relatively slowly, in order to save fuel.
According to the company behind it, it can be effective in "complex urban scenarios" and can be controlled by an operator during flight.
After testing in Sweden the 'loitering weapon' was planned for deployment in Afghanistan this year, but the army has now decided against it.
Above: the Fire Shadow missile being tested
The systems apparently "captured the imagination" of the MoD back in 1990, after demands for weapons with greater accuracy and precision at range.
"Fire Shadow fills a gap in the capabilities needed by the Armed Forces“ Steve Wadey, Executive Group Director Technical and MBDA UK Managing Director, said to Defense Update.
"The system’s potential is such that it lends itself to new roles and has been designed to adapt and evolve to ensure that weapon provides an operational edge now and for the future".