Fleet Shadower aircraft were intended to fly high and quietly at night while keeping an enemy fleet under observation. Tracking its movements would let Royal Navy ships close in darkness for a short-range attack. Air-to-surface radar already under development offered another possibility for the aircraft. Space for crew and a powerful radar set could support its evolution into an airborne early-warning asset. American and Japanese experimental aircraft offered comparable possibilities, with Japanese radar work also continuing.
Notable Point · 27:26-29:01
Fleet Shadowers could evolve from night scouts into radar aircraft
Quiet night reconnaissance could help surface ships close on an enemy fleet, while radar offered a route to airborne early warning.