(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — For the first time, Russian forces have unveiled the internal components of the Storm Shadow/SCALP EG cruise missile supplied to the Ukrainian military by Britain and France.
Video footage showing Russian troops “dissecting” the internal components of the cruise missile developed by British and French defense firms has been broadcasted by television stations and social media outlets in the country.
According to Russian media, Russian weapon experts are diligently studying the technical and tactical specifications of the Western cruise missile system, which has now become Ukraine’s primary weapon for attacking Russian military bases and interests in the occupied Crimea region.
Data and information obtained from the “dissection” of the Storm Shadow/SCALP EG cruise missile system components will be disseminated to various agencies in Russia to enable deeper analysis.
This information will not only be used to develop more advanced Russian cruise missiles in the future but also to devise suitable strategies and tactics to counter the British/French-made cruise missile attacks.
Russia’s air defense systems will also benefit as its weapon experts study data and information from the Storm Shadow/SCALP EG cruise missile.
The country’s armed experts hope to develop more effective air defense systems to counter Western-made missiles.
The Storm Shadow/SCALP EG cruise missiles manufactured by Britain/France have proven highly popular among Ukrainian forces, who frequently use them to target Russian assets in the Crimea region they have captured.
Not only is the cruise missile popular, but it has also proven effective in destroying warships, including a Russian military submarine docked at the naval base in Crimea.
The British/French cruise missiles have become a “thorn in the side” of the Russian military, especially in Crimea.
To address this, Russia has increased the presence of its air defense systems to shoot down Storm Shadow/SCALP EG cruise missiles launched by the Ukrainian military.
Russian forces have successfully shot down some of the cruise missiles launched by Ukraine, but others have managed to evade and destroy their targets.
In addition to air defense systems, Russia has also deployed electronic warfare (EW) systems to disrupt and thwart British/French cruise missile attacks.
Last July, Russian forces reportedly “captured” a Storm Shadow cruise missile supplied by Britain to Ukraine after it experienced “electronic malfunction” as soon as it was launched by fighter jets.
The “electronic malfunction” experienced by the cruise missile was likely due to EW attacks by Russia.
What is interesting is that the cruise missile successfully captured by Russian forces was in nearly perfect condition, allowing Moscow’s weapon experts to examine its technology closely.
The Storm Shadow cruise missile was captured by Russian forces after it failed to function during a retaliatory attack by Ukrainian forces in the Zaporizhia region in the south of the country.
Russian state media stated that the well-preserved Storm Shadow missile was sent to Moscow to allow its weapon experts to closely examine the missile and its underlying technology.
What can Russian weapon experts learn from the pride of Britain/France, the Storm Shadow missile?
From studying the cruise missile, it can provide insights into its target tracking technology, materials used in its construction, and how it evades Russia’s air defense systems.
Russian experts are likely most interested in the guidance systems used by the Storm Shadow missile.
All this information is invaluable to Moscow as it enables Russia to devise solutions on how to bypass the cruise missile, which so far has successfully evaded its air defense systems.
Furthermore, Russian weapon experts also want to study the design of the Storm Shadow missile because it has been engineered to make it nearly invisible to enemy radars.
This information will assist Russia’s defense industry in developing better guided missiles in the future, as well as the technology and systems to counter them.
The Storm Shadow cruise missile is an air-launched cruise missile (ALCM) developed by the United Kingdom, France, and Italy.
Also known as SCALP EG (Système de Croisière Autonome à Longue Portée – Emploi Général), the missile was manufactured by the European defense firm MBDA.
Development of the guided missile system began as early as the 1990s and was designed to be a long-range, stand-off weapon system that could be launched from aircraft against strategic targets while keeping the aircraft out of the range of enemy air defense systems.
The Storm Shadow missile can strike targets up to 560km away or 300 nautical miles to enable it to target strategic objectives.
Currently, this missile is in service with several countries such as the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, countries that operate Tornado, Eurofighter Typhoon, and Rafale fighter jets.
Each missile weighs 1.3 tons, with a total length of 5.10 meters.
It utilizes a turbojet propulsion system, the Turbomeca Microturbo TRI 60-30, which propels the guided missile to its target with high speed and precision.
Regarding its navigation system, the Storm Shadow cruise missile is guided by INS (Inertial Navigation Systems), GPS (Global Positioning System), and Terrain Reference Navigation systems to ensure it has extremely high accuracy.
As for its warhead, it is designed to cause maximum destruction.
Before launch, the missile will be “prepared,” with all comprehensive data and information about the target and trajectory required to ensure it reaches its target pre-loaded into the guided missile system.
Once launched from the aircraft carrying it, the Storm Shadow missile will use its own navigation system to reach the target.
The Storm Shadow missile features a two-stage explosive warhead called the Bomb Royal Ordnance Augmented Charge (BROACH), which combines blast and penetration capabilities.
The way the BROACH warhead functions is two-fold, with the first stage seeing it explode to “open up” the surface of the target and then the second stage, where the larger warhead penetrates the target deeper before detonating, seconds after the initial explosion.
All the technologies that make the Storm Shadow cruise missile a formidable weapon system will surely be scrutinized in more detail by Russian weapon scientists. — DSA