UK-supplied Storm Shadow cruise missiles have had significant effects on the course of Ukrainian offensive operations against Russian invading troops.
This was stated by the United Kingdom’s Defense Secretary, Ben Wallace, during a House of Commons hearing, as reported by Forces.Net.
The UK Defense Secretary hailed the precision and accuracy of these British missiles provided to Ukraine, saying they functioned brilliantly.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Ben Wallace said, “It is my understanding its accuracy and ability to deliver the payload successfully as sent and designed by the Ukrainians has been almost without fault, and I think that is an extraordinary achievement both of the engineering that went into it but also of the ability of the Ukrainians to use and deploy it.”
Mr Wallace also stated that Storm Shadow largely impacted the Russian troops’ logistics and command and control centres. Defense Secretary urged Western allies to provide Ukraine’s army with long-range weaponry to enhance its capabilities.
“When Himars was put in and the M270s, that has a range of 80 km, had a similar effect, then Russians moved many of their C2 nodes out of range, which is why deep fires became important,” the Defense Secretary said.
The UK Defense official stressed the significance of international cooperation in ensuring that the essential technology is given to force Russian troops to pull back to Russia and out from Ukraine. With the range of ATACMS, Russians will have no secure location in occupied Ukrainian territories.
Key facts about the Storm Shadow cruise missile
- The Storm Shadow/SCALP EG is a long-range air-launched cruise missile developed by France and the United Kingdom.
- It is intended to bypass air defence systems and destroy critical stationary targets, particularly bunkers.
- The 5.1-meter-long missile has a flying weight of up to 1300 kg and a warhead mass of 450 kg.
- From the late 1990s until the early 2000s, Matra (France) and British Aerospace (UK) worked together to develop the missile. The MBDA consortium now manufactures it.
Storm Shadow missiles supply to Ukraine
Ukrainian combat aircraft has been employing British Storm Shadow precision cruise missiles to hit Russian invading forces in Ukraine’s seized territory since May 2023.
The United Kingdom provided this weaponry to Ukraine as military aid in the face of the all-out Russian invasion, which began on February 24, 2022.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak declared in February 2023 that his country would be the first to give Ukraine long-range weapons.
Ukraine adapted Soviet-era Ukrainian aircraft to use Storm Shadow cruise missiles. On May 24, 2023, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov issued a leaflet depicting a Su-24MR frontline reconnaissance aircraft carrying a Storm Shadow cruise missile.
Images of a Ukrainian Su-24 flying with two British missiles beneath its wings were circulated on social media in June 2023. The aircraft was flying to target Russian invaders in occupied Ukrainian territory.
Ukraine most likely exploited its experience and technical solutions to adapt Soviet-made Ukrainian jets to American HARM anti-radiation missiles and JDAM-equipped bombs, which Ukrainian aviation utilizes to attack Russian invaders. See more about Storm Shadow missiles’ usage by Ukraine in this article.
Storm Shadow missiles substantially impacted the battlefield – Ukraine’s Air Force Spokesman
Ukraine’s Air Force Spokesman, Yuriy Ihnat, stated that Storm Shadow missiles were operational and substantially impacted the battlefield, but Ukraine also required ATACMS, Defense Express reported.
According to a spokeswoman for Ukraine’s Air Force, these missiles leave no room for the Russian enemy, as they can destroy their rear command posts, command centres, ammo dumps, and other military targets.
Mr Ihnat also stated that the Ukrainian military successfully employed long-range Storm Shadow missiles, which have proven their high effectiveness.
