History
The Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG is an Anglo-French development of a low-observable, long-range precision cruise missile initiated in 1994 by Matra and British Aerospace. The missile is currently produced by the MBDA consortium. In the UK, the missile is known as Storm Shadow, while in France it goes by the name SCALP-EG, which stands for "Système de croisière conventionnel autonome à longue portée Emploi General", which translates to "multi-purpose long-range cruise missile with autonomous guidance". This missile was developed on the basis of the French Apache anti-missile system and is particularly distinctive in that the Storm Shadow is equipped with a warhead instead of cluster munitions.
In 2006, MBDA France began development of the Missile de Croisière Naval (MdCN), or Maritime Cruise Missile, in response to a request from the French Ministry of Defense for a more powerful missile capable of launching from surface and submarine vessels and engaging strategic and military targets at long ranges with high accuracy. The first test of the MdCN took place in July 2013 and was successful. Since 2017, the MdCN has been used on France's FREMM-class frigates and equips the Barracuda-class nuclear-powered submarines, which began entering service in 2022.The tender process to develop the missile involved not only Matra and British Aerospace, but also a number of other well-known arms companies. Eventually, in June 1996, the choice was made in favor of the proposal from Matra and British Aerospace. A February 1997 contract for the development and production of the missile followed the merger of Matra and BAe's missile divisions into Matra BAe Dynamics. In January 1998, France placed an order for 500 SCALPs.The first successful launch of a guided version of the Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG missile was in December 2000 from a French Mirage 2000N fighter aircraft at the Biscarros range. The first British launch of the missile was in May 2001 from a Tornado aircraft taking off from BAE Warton airfield.
Overview
SCALP-EG and Storm Shadow are identical except for how they integrate into the aircraft.
“Both weapons have fairly powerful warheads, so they can destroy relatively difficult targets. For example, defense systems, ammunition depots, and command and control centers are well fortified. So they are important because they can reduce the Russians’ ability to support and command their operations,” said Brian Clark, director of the Center for Defense Concepts and Technology at the Hudson Institute.
The Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG cruise missile has the following characteristics:
- The missile’s weight is 1,300 kg.
- The rocket is 5.1 meters long and the maximum body diameter reaches 48 centimeters.
- The missile has a wingspan of 3 meters.
- Equipped with a 450 kg BROACH (Bomb Royal Ordnance Augmented Charge) type warhead designed to penetrate and destroy soil or bunkers.
- Engine: Turbomeca Microturbo TRI 60-30 turbojet engine with a thrust of 5.4 kN.
- The range exceeds 560 kilometers at low altitude.
- The flight height ranges from 30 to 40 meters.
- The rocket’s speed reaches 1000 km/h, which corresponds to Mach 0.8-0.95 depending on altitude.
- The guidance system includes an autonomous inertial system augmented by GPS (and eventually GNSS), as well as a TERPROM (Terrain Profile Matching) correction system for the marching section and a thermal imaging homing head for the final section.
- It can be installed on various types of carriers, including FREMM frigates, Italian Tornado IDS, Eurofighter Typhoon, Dassault Mirage 2000, Dassault Rafale, F-35 and Nimrod MRA4. After modernization, the Su-24M Su-24M aircraft of the Armed Forces of the AFU were also able to use the missile.
The BROACH warhead has a two-stage structure: the first part, the shaped charge, penetrates the obstacle, while the main part of the warhead penetrates the target and detonates, maximizing damage. Effective against a variety of targets, including command posts, ships, submarines, bunkers, bridges, and other fortified structures. Suggested targets also include airfields, ports, power plants, ammunition depots and other strategic targets.
Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG is a “shoot-and-forget” missile, which means that it cannot be controlled or commanded to self-destruct after launch. All target information is pre-programmed and cannot be changed during flight. Mission planners enter air defense and target location data into the missile’s program. In flight, the missile follows a predetermined route at low altitude using GPS and map data. As it approaches the target, it climbs and then goes into dive mode to ensure the best possible target recognition and penetration.
During an attack, the missile’s nose cone is cut off, allowing a high-resolution thermographic camera (infrared guidance) to observe. The missile attempts to detect the target based on the information gathered and, if unsuccessful or at high risk of collateral damage, is guided to a predetermined impact point, avoiding an inaccurate impact.
Recent improvements include the ability to transmit target information prior to impact and the one-way transmission of battle damage assessment data back to the carrier aircraft, which is being developed under a French DGA contract. There are also plans to introduce an in-flight re-targeting capability via a two-way communication link. These upgrades are expected to be carried out as part of the Selective Precision Effects At Range 4 (SPEAR 4) missile project.
There is evidence that a modified version of the missile with reduced capabilities was created for export to some countries, such as the United Arab Emirates, to comply with the restrictions of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR).
Modifications
Black Shaheen
France has developed a special version of the Storm Shadow missile for export to the United Arab Emirates for use with the Mirage 2000 fighter. This modified version of the missile features a reduced range, which is reported to be about 290 kilometers. This range reduction was made to comply with the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), an international agreement restricting the proliferation of long-range missiles and related technologies
SCALP Naval
SCALP Naval, also known as Missile de Croisière Naval (MdCN), was developed by MBDA specifically for the French Navy under the MdCN program. This version is a modification of the SCALP EG cruise missile for use with surface and submarine vessels, with a range of approximately 1,000 kilometers. An important feature of the SCALP Naval is its new cylindrical body, which has been adapted to be launched from the torpedo tubes of submarines and vertical launchers of surface ships.
Unlike the SCALP-EG aircraft version, the naval version of the missile is equipped with a solid-propellant booster. This allows the missile to quickly gain the necessary speed after launch. In addition, the submarine version of the missile is housed in a special container that provides hydrodynamic jettison of the missile when it leaves the water, which facilitates its efficient launch and subsequent flight to the target. These characteristics make the SCALP Naval particularly suitable for maritime operations, providing high flexibility and efficiency of use in a variety of maritime environments.
“Storm Shadow and SCALP are very effective weapons that allow Ukraine to accurately engage targets at long range. Both are very effective long-range and precision strike weapons with a range of at least 200 miles (320 km), so they can reach Crimea and other occupied territories of Ukraine,” Brian Clark, director of the Center for Defense Concepts and Technology at the Hudson Institute, says.
British missiles + Soviet airplanes
Ukrainian military aircraft produced back in Soviet times have been modified to use British Storm Shadow cruise missiles. Oleksiy Reznikov, Ukraine’s defense minister, presented to the public a photo of a Su-24MR, a front-line reconnaissance aircraft that is supposedly equipped with Storm Shadow missiles.
The photo shows the aircraft signed by British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace. Wallace supported the transfer of Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine.
In early June 2023, a photo of a Su-24M with two suspended Storm Shadow missiles was published on the Internet. To connect the missiles to the Su-24, the aircraft were equipped with pylons from decommissioned British Panavia Tornado.
Advantages
Storm Shadow missiles are characterized by their low noise level and low altitude capabilities, which, along with their powerful radar countermeasures, make them less detectable to enemy air defense systems. These missiles are capable of stealthy approach, target-specific dive angles, and dual-charge capability to destroy even heavily defended targets.
Storm Shadow is equipped with a combination of inertial and GPS guidance systems, and uses a thermal head with terrain scanning and matching capability when approaching the target. This missile can be used in all weather conditions, day and night, and under active enemy electronic countermeasures.
Storm Shadow is notable for its high performance and sophisticated guidance system, which includes inertial, satellite and DSMAC guidance, as well as a thermal imaging homing head in the terminal phase of the attack. The BROACH warhead is a two-stage design capable of penetrating fortified structures.
Storm Shadow can be integrated with various types of tactical aircraft and is highly mobile and versatile, making it superior to ATACMS.
Experts point out the advantages of Storm Shadow over ATACMS:
- Range: Storm Shadow has a range of about 560 km, while the export version and ATACMS are limited to about 300 km. This enhances operational capabilities and allows for safer warfare.
- Warhead power: The Storm Shadow warhead weighs 450 kg, twice the weight of the ATACMS (227 kg). This provides more powerful engagement of targets.
- Mobility: Storm Shadow, being a cruise missile designed to be launched from aircraft, has greater mobility. The aircraft-launched missile can attack targets in different regions in a single day, something that missile systems like ATACMS cannot achieve.
- Guidance System: Storm Shadow utilizes a comprehensive guidance system including inertial, satellite and DSMAC (Digital Scene-Matching Area Correlator), as well as a thermal imaging homing head for precise targeting. This increases the effectiveness and accuracy of strikes.
- Serial production and availability: Storm Shadow is a mass-produced missile and is in service in several countries, increasing the likelihood of its availability to various nations, in contrast to the more limited distribution of ATACMS.
disadvantages and limitations:
- High Cost: One of the major disadvantages of Storm Shadow is its high cost, both in production and in operation. This can limit the number of missiles available for launch, especially for countries with limited military budgets.
- Limited ability to change the target after launch: As a “shoot-and-forget” missile, Storm Shadow does not allow the operator to change the target or adjust the trajectory after launch, which can be a disadvantage in a rapidly changing combat environment.
- Possibility of interception by modern air defense systems: Despite its stealth technology and low visibility, Storm Shadow can still be intercepted by especially modern and highly effective air defense systems.
- Dependence on Accurate Intelligence and Pre-Launch Planning: Storm Shadow’s effectiveness depends heavily on accurate intelligence and careful mission planning, as the missile must be accurately programmed before launch.
- Limitations on carrier types: Storm Shadow requires certain types of military aircraft to launch, which may limit its use to countries without suitable aircraft types.
Combat use
The Storm Shadow missile was first used by the British armed forces 19 years ago during the Iraq War in 2003, even though all its tests had not yet been completed. In 2011, during the military intervention in Libya, British, French and Italian warplanes used the missile in airstrikes. In addition, Storm Shadow was used by the British and French in the operation against the Islamic State and in missile strikes against Damascus and Homs. The Saudi Armed Forces also used Storm Shadow during military operations in Yemen.
On April 14, 2018, in response to the use of chemical weapons by the Bashar al-Assad regime against civilians in the city of Douma on April 7, a coalition of the United States, Britain and France launched a series of missile strikes against military installations in Syria. Allied forces fired a total of 105 cruise missiles, including 8 Storm Shadow missiles from British Tornado GR4 fighters, 3 Missile de Croisière Naval (MdCN) missiles from French ships, and 2 SCALP missiles from French Rafale fighters. These missiles hit a chemical weapons storage facility in western Homs (Chem Shinshar) as well as a complex of bunkers nearby.
In March 2021, British RAF Typhoon fighter jets used Storm Shadow cruise missiles in combat for the first time in a military operation against the Islamic State. As part of Operation Shader, British warplanes launched a missile strike on caves southwest of Erbil. This was also followed by strikes using Paveway IV guided aerial bombs. This was the first use of guided missiles from Typhoon aircraft since the British Air Force withdrew the Tornado GR4 fighters from service.
During the Russian-Ukrainian war, on May 12 and 13, 2023, missile strikes were launched against the building of the former “Machine-Building Plant 100”, a Polipak enterprise in Lugansk, as well as the former building of the University of Internal Affairs in the village of Katerinovka, a suburb of Lugansk.
Russian propaganda claimed that the strikes on Luhansk were carried out by Storm Shadow missiles, although photos of debris from an ADM-160B MALD decoy missile appeared shortly afterward. According to Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov, all launched Storm Shadow missiles reached their targets by the end of May 2023.
“I can say that out of the total number of Storm Shadow launches that have taken place, all 100% are accurate hits on targets determined by the General Staff. 100 on 100, absolutely effective,” Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said.
On June 22, 2023, during a Ukrainian counteroffensive, two road bridges over the Sivash River near Chongar were attacked by Storm Shadow cruise missiles, temporarily suspending traffic on the bridges.
On July 11, 2023, it became known that Russian Lieutenant General Oleg Tsokov had been eliminated near Berdyansk, presumably struck by Storm Shadow. On September 13, 2023, the Ukrainian Air Force attacked the dry docks of the Sevastopol Naval Plant, presumably with Storm Shadow missiles. The attack severely damaged the VDK Minsk and the submarine Rostov-on-Don, a carrier of Kalibr cruise missiles. Both ships may not be recoverable. This was the first time in history that a submarine was destroyed by a cruise missile.
On November 4, 2023, three SCALP-EG missiles hit the center section of the Project 22800 small missile ship Askold (Project 22800 Karakurt), which was at the quay wall at the Zaliv plant in the temporarily occupied city of Kerch. On December 26, 2023, the VDK Novocherkassk (Project 775/II) was destroyed in the port of the temporarily occupied city of Feodosia as a result of a strike by Storm Shadow air-to-ground cruise missiles. According to revised data, the ship was completely burned out and sunk.
Erhard Bühler, commenting on the destruction of the large landing ship Novocherkassk in the port of Feodosiya, noted that it was previously believed that Ukraine had received an export version of the Western cruise missile Storm Shadow with a reduced range of up to 250 kilometers. However, such a range would not be enough to reach Feodosia from AFU-controlled airspace. This means that Ukraine received the original version of Storm Shadow, which is in NATO service, with a range of up to 560 kilometers.
“A cruise missile had to fly more than 250 kilometers over the occupied territory. To do this, you need to know where the radar and air defense positions are located. This is not done for nothing. In general, this means that Ukraine has cruise missiles with a real range of 400 kilometers,” Büller said.
Conclusions
In conclusion, the Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG missile represents a significant achievement in the field of weapons, combining advanced technology and high efficiency. Developed by Anglo-French engineers, the cruise missile boasts impressive performance capabilities, including a range of over 560 km, the ability to penetrate fortified targets and high targeting accuracy thanks to modern GPS and infrared homing systems.
With its powerful warhead capable of causing serious damage to even the most hardened targets, the Storm Shadow is an important tool in the arsenal of many countries’ militaries. It has proven effective in a number of military conflicts, from operations in Iraq and Libya to more recent operations against the Islamic State.