Ukraine Launches First-Ever Storm Shadow Missile Strike on Russian Soil

In a significant escalation of the ongoing conflict, Ukraine has utilized British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles to strike targets within Russian territory for the first time. The Storm Shadow, also known as SCALP-EG in France, is a Franco-British low-observable, long-range air-launched cruise missile developed since 1994 by Matra and British Aerospace, and now manufactured by MBDA.

The missile is designed to strike stationary, well-protected targets such as bunkers, command centers, airfields, and other strategic installations. It weighs approximately 1,300 kilograms and carries a conventional warhead of 450 kilograms. The Storm Shadow is propelled by a Microturbo TRI 60-30 turbojet engine, achieving a speed of Mach 0.8 and a range of about 560 kilometers.

Ukraine’s use of the Storm Shadow missiles was confirmed by the country’s Minister of Defense, Oleksii Reznikov, who tweeted a photo of a modified Sukhoi Su-24 aircraft equipped with the missiles. The Su-24, adapted with pylons derived from retired RAF Tornado GR4 aircraft, serves as the primary launch platform for these missiles in the Ukrainian Air Force.

The missiles are fire-and-forget, programmed before launch with detailed target information and air defense data. They follow a semi-autonomous path guided by GPS and terrain mapping, climbing near the target to enhance penetration and matching the target with an IR camera before diving in.

This development has been supported by various international leaders, including the UK‘s Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philps, who emphasized the need to support Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression.

The use of Storm Shadow missiles marks a new phase in Ukraine’s military strategy, enabling it to strike deep behind enemy lines with increased precision and effectiveness.