UK Armed Forces Secretary of State James Hippie recently said that despite possible risks, London will continue to support the Ukrainian Armed Forces “with appropriate and balanced military means” to help Ukraine “defend its sovereign territory”.
“The UK will analyze the support provided to Ukraine and will not rule out the possibility of providing longer-range weapons systems,” Hippie said.
Long-range weapon options include air-launched cruise missiles (ALCMs), including Storm Shadow/SCALP.
As before Wrote “socialbites.ca”, such ALCMs are a joint British-French development and are produced by the European MBDA consortium (Matra BAE Dynamics Alenia).
The French variant of the missile is abbreviated SCALP EG, which stands for Autonomous Guided Multi-Purpose High Precision Long-Range Cruise Missile. The product is equipped with a warhead weighing 450 kg, the firing range of Storm Shadow (“Storm Shadow”) exceeds 250 km, the flight altitude is 30-40 m, and the rocket speed reaches 0.8-0.95 M. (approximately 1000 km). /h).
The use of Storm Shadow ALCMs in military conflicts has been documented since 2003. During hostilities, the rocket showed high efficiency.
Storm Shadow / SCALP’s firing range varies in various publications and reference books. In some sources it is given as over 250 km, in others – 300 nautical miles (550 km). It is also possible that the manufacturer is keeping the actual shooting range a secret. It is quite possible that it will significantly exceed 550 km. In this case, the Moscow region will be in the zone of defeat.
The Ukrainian Air Force can use the Su-24M front-line bomber as a carrier aircraft for the Storm Shadow ALCM. Poland promised the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to adapt such Ukrainian aircraft for combat use of Storm Shadow/SCALP ALCMs as soon as possible. Guiding principle “Storm Shadow” – “hit and forget.”
Among the tactical and technical characteristics of Storm Shadow, special attention should be paid to the parameters of the warhead – almost half a ton of high-piercing explosive, which is twice the weight of the ATACMS Block IA tactical ballistic missile used by Ukraine. Until now, the West has asked unsuccessfully from the very beginning of the conflict.
Intended targets for Storm Shadow are command points, communication centers, ammunition depots, moored ships, infrastructure facilities (bridge crossings, railroad junctions, unloading stations). The Storm Shadow rocket costs 850,000 Euros.
As for the possible reactions of Russia to the supply of “Storm Shadows” to Ukraine, first of all, it is necessary to take into account the fact that until 1991 the military districts of Leningrad, Moscow and the North Caucasus were considered purely rear zones. Only both capitals had developed fighter and anti-aircraft missile protection systems (although even then they suffered significant damage as a result of the devastating organizational and personnel measures of the 1990s). However, after the collapse of the USSR, the internal military zones suddenly became the frontier at the first strategic echelon, and today, it should be clearly said, there are not enough forces and means to effectively repel air strikes. a potential enemy.
And in this regard, the combat power of radio engineering, anti-aircraft missile forces and combat aircraft deployed in these areas needs to be significantly strengthened (most likely, sometimes even). For example, the lower limit of the radar field required to accurately detect and execute the Storm Shadow ALCM along the entire western border of Russia should be 60-100 meters. This alone entails a radical increase in the number of battalions of radar companies and radio engineering troops and changes in their deployment.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg believes that arms supplies to Ukraine by the alliance countries will quickly lead to a ceasefire. “It may sound like a paradox, but military support to Ukraine is the shortest path to peace,” believes the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Alliance. According to the NATO Secretary General, Moscow must understand that it cannot achieve its goals in Ukraine. From now on, the NATO Secretary General believes that peace talks will be possible.