France, UK Approve Ukraine’s Use of SCALP/Storm Shadow Missiles for Strikes on Russian Soil
17 November, 2024 The Storm Shadow missile under the wing of the Ukrainian Su-24M(MR). August 2023. Frame from the video of the Ukrainian Air Force
The governments of France and the United Kingdom, following the United States, have granted Ukraine permission to conduct deep strikes into Russian territory using their SCALP/Storm Shadow cruise missiles. Le Figaro reported on this. Militarnyi previously reported that the President of the United States, Joe Biden, allowed Ukraine to strike Russia with American long-range missiles.
The missiles are likely to be initially employed against Russian and North Korean troops in defense of Ukrainian forces in the Kursk oblast of western Russia, according to The New York Times.
A Ukrainian Su-24M bomber with two Storm Shadow (SCALP-EG) missiles. Photo credits: Ukrainian Air Force
Most likely, it was the U.S. government's decision that prompted the French and British governments to make a decision that politicians have been discussing almost since the beginning of SCALP/Storm Shadow missiles in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Previously, French-British cruise missiles were used to hit targets in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
SCALP EG missile under the wing of the Ukrainian Su-24M bomber.
August 2023. Frame from the Ihor Smilyanskyi`s video
Reports suggest that the missiles destroyed the Rostov-on-Don submarine, the landing ship Minsk, the small missile ship Askold, and the Black Sea Fleet headquarters in Sevastopol. Strikes by SCALP/Storm Shadow missiles on important facilities in the Russian Federation can cause significant losses and contribute to the reduction of the capabilities of the Russian invasion forces.
On November 10, Militarnyi reported that France was preparing an additional batch of long-range SCALP missiles and Mistral missiles for air defense for Ukraine.
SCALP/Storm Shadow
The Franco-British Storm Shadow/SCALP EG is a long-range air-to-ground air-launched cruise search missile. It is designed to overcome air defense systems and destroy important stationary targets, including bunkers. The 5.1-meter-long search missile has a flight weight of up to 1,300 kg, while the weight of its warhead is 450 kg.
Structure and components of the Storm Shadow/SCALP EG cruise missile
The French version of the missile called SCALP EG and the British Storm Shadow are basically identical.
The difference is only in the software and type of aircraft designed to carry this missile.
The stated operational range of the cruise missile is over 250 km in the export version and up to 560 km for the army of France and the UK.