The Guardian reports that Britain is donating Storm Shadow mid-range cruise missiles to Ukraine immediately, in addition to leading efforts to purchase more similar weapons through the IFU (International Fund for Ukraine).
I wrote a diary explaining in greater detail the capabilities of the Storm Shadow missile, but here are some highlights:
- Low-altitude aircraft fired long-range cruise missiles with a 300km range.
- Low-altitude cruise capability that hugs the ground, evading radar detection
- GPS homing ability, with infrared terminal tracking ability, makes it resistant to GPS jamming.
- 2-stage shaped charge 450kg BROACH warhead. Allows it to punch through a bridge surface and detonate below to take out the support struts, punch through fortified bunkers, or destroy large buildings.
The UK announcement today made clear that the missiles are NOT being purchased through the IFU funding, but are being given to Ukraine separately. As the missiles cost around $2.5M and the IFU funding is limited, this is an incredibly welcome development.
Forbes reports that the missiles should be easy to integrate into Mig-29 and Su-27 Ukrainian aircraft because they have already been adapted to fire HARM missiles.
The challenge with firing HARM missiles was both electronic (getting the computer and radar on the aircraft to “talk” to the missile) and physical in nature. Physical, because the Soviet aircraft had differently shaped attachments to secure the missile. Attaching the Western missiles to Soviet aircraft was described by engineers as like “putting a square peg in a round hole.”
However, the HARM missiles are fired from the same missile attachment points as Storm Shadow missiles on the F35 or the Tornado, thus the physical adaptation necessary to attach the missile is essentially already done with minimal adjustments.
Forbes reports that the Storm Shadow is electronically more autonomous than the HARM missiles, making the electronic challenges of integrating it onto systems adapted to fire HARM missiles relatively light, and predicts that deployment will not take much time.
The UK is estimated to have 700-1000 Storm Shadow missiles that are expected to be phased out by 2030. It’s unclear how many of the missiles the UK government has given to Ukraine.
Additionally, 10 nations use the Storm Shadow missile and have stockpiles, including nations like France, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE that have provided generous military aid to Ukraine in the past. The IFU may be attempting to purchase additional Storm Shadow missiles from such nations.
Noel Reports suggests that 280km range Turkish Khan cruise missiles with a 280km range may be an additional missile under consideration for purchase by the IFU.
The Storm Shadow would bring the Kerch Bridge, all Crimean ports and the key rail junction at Dzhankoi within striking range.
In the Northern or the Eastern Fronts, Starobilsk, Luhansk and other rearward rail junctions would all fall well within range as well.