Storm Shadow deep strike missile on Ukrainian supersonic Fencer
KYIV ($1=36.92 Ukrainian Hrivnias) — The Ukrainian Air Force is awaiting the integration of a new supersonic missile. After the HARM AGM-88 was successfully used by Ukrainian MiGs to strike the Russian Saki airbase in Crimea, Kyiv hopes the new weapon will further increase the productivity of Ukrainian strikes.
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Poland is the integrator country that has undertaken the mission to field the Storm Shadow air-launched long-range, conventionally armed, deep-strike missile, known by its acronym SCALP. The missile is designed by the French company MBDA.
There is still no official information on which of the two repair plants the integration will take place – the WZL military plants in Warsaw and Bydgoszcz, or the PZL plant in Mielec.
About Storm Shadow
Storm Shadow is designed to deal with bunkers, corner infrastructure, and moving or fixed targets. The missile’s navigation system is a combination of INS, GPS and terrain referencing. SCALP is over 5 meters long and weighs around 1,300 kg. Powered by a turbojet engine, its range is over 250 km. The missile’s warhead is a blast/penetrator type.
The French missile could provide an advantage to the Ukrainian warplane during a mission. Its ability to engage targets beyond visual range, as well as its low radar signature, makes it stealthy, difficult to identify, and intercept accordingly. Last but not least, the SCALP flies at low altitudes, eliminating much of the enemy’s radar capability.
The integration will be small
Militarymonitoring.com says that not all fighters or combat aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force will receive a SCALP missile. As a probable reason, the online portal claims the price of the rocket – is 1.4 million dollars. It is currently known that at least one Ukrainian supersonic Su-24 Fencer will receive SCALP integration. The source claims that it will be a fighter from the inventory of the 7th Tactical Aviation Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Storm Shadow’s future involvement in the war in Ukraine will not be a debut. On the contrary, the missile has already launched airstrikes from the wings of the Eurofighter Typhoon, Rafale, Mirage 2000, and Tornado against enemy targets in Iraq, Libya, and Syria.
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