The UK has sent Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine as part of its continued assistance to the nation in its fight against Russia. The missiles, which can strike targets up to 300 kilometers away, are intended to significantly improve Ukraine's ability to defend itself against Russian invasion.
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| Storm Shadow cruise missile (Wikimedia) |
Storm Shadow is a long-range, air-launched cruise missile developed in collaboration between the United Kingdom and France. The missile is meant to be very precise and stealthy, making it difficult to intercept by hostile air defenses. It is also outfitted with a variety of warheads, allowing it to attack a wide range of targets.
The delivery of Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine marks a watershed moment in the conflict. The missiles will provide Ukraine the much-needed capability to hit targets deep into Russian territory, and they are expected to have a substantial effect on the war's outcome.
The United Kingdom is not the only country that has delivered long-range weaponry to Ukraine. The US has also given several similar weapons, including Javelin anti-tank missiles and Stinger anti-aircraft missiles. These weapons have already shown to be effective in the hands of Ukrainian troops, and they are expected to play an important part in the battle in the future.
The transfer of long-range weaponry to Ukraine demonstrates the country's growing international backing in its fight against Russia. As the war progresses, additional nations are likely to supply Ukraine with such weaponry in an effort to assist the country in defending itself and ultimately triumphing.
What is Storm Shadow missile?
Storm Shadow is a low-observability, long-range, air-launched cruise missile developed by Matra and British Aerospace since 1994 and presently produced by MBDA. Storm Shadow is the British designation for the weapon, while SCALP-EG (which stands for "Système de Croisière Autonome à Longue Portée - Emploi Général"; English: "General Purpose Long-Range Cruise Missile") is the French name. The missile is based on the Apache anti-runway cruise missile produced by France. The Storm Shadow differs in that it carries a warhead rather than cluster bombs.
Characteristics:
The missile has a range of roughly 560 kilometers (300 nautical miles; 350 miles) and carries a standard BROACH payload weighing 450 kilograms (990 pounds).
It can be carried by the now-retired RAF Tornado GR4, Italian Tornado IDS, Saab Gripen, Dassault Mirage 2000, and Dassault Rafale aircraft at Mach 0.8. Storm Shadow was put into the Eurofighter Typhoon as part of the Phase 2 Enhancement (P2E) program in 2015, although it will not be installed on the F-35 Lightning II.
For guidance, the missile is outfitted with an inertial navigation system (INS) and a TERCOM (terrain contour matching) system. It may also be outfitted with a GPS navigation system.
To make it more difficult for opposing air defenses to intercept, the missile is outfitted with a variety of countermeasures, including chaff and flares.
Specifications:
4.8 m (15 ft 9 in) in length
0.53 m (1 ft 8 in) in diameter
2.4 m (7 ft 10 in) wingspan
1,300 kilograms (2,866 lb)
Mach number: 0.8
560 km (300 nmi; 350 mi) range
450 kilogram (990 lb) warhead traditional BROACH