Storm Shadow – the secret capabilities of cruise missiles in service with the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Storm Shadow cruise missiles, which Britain secretly delivered to Ukraine and even confirmed this transfer, are able to “deceive” the enemy’s anti-aircraft defense thanks to low-altitude flight, Defense Express expert Valery Ryabikh told in a comment to the publication “NV” (material with restricted access).

He noted that the discussions surrounding the transfer of these missiles to the Armed Forces of Ukraine have been ongoing since at least the fall of 2022. Then they discussed, in particular, their adaptation to the Su-25 aircraft, which is already in service with the Air Force of Ukraine.

“The missile, in fact, is programmed on the ground. In order for it to hit the target, it must be lifted into the air and directed in the direction of the target. The rest will be done by the missile itself,” Ryabikh said.

In addition to the ability to bypass enemy air defense systems, Storm Shadow is also immune to the actions of various radio-electronic enemy suppression systems.

Unlike semi-blind Russian terrorist missiles, it is a high-precision missile. “And in addition to the fact that the flight of this missile is provided by an inertial system, a GPS guidance system, at the final part of the trajectory, the protective cap of the missile is reset and the optical head comes into action, which allows you to identify targets directly during the approach of the missile,” the expert noted.

According to him, only a few Storm Shadows will be enough to hit the Crimean bridge: “This is facilitated by the weight of the unitary main warhead, which can carry up to 450 kg of explosives. Of course, such a strike allows you to destroy most of the enemy’s protected facilities.”

Storm Shadow in Ukraine – what is known

On May 11, 2023, British Defense Minister Ben Wallace confirmed the transfer of long-range Storm Shadow cruise missiles to Ukraine with an announced range of at least 250 km.

Wallace emphasized that the missiles will be used against the enemy only on the “sovereign territory of Ukraine”, which is actually a diplomatic “maneuver” for strikes on Crimea, because the West does not recognize it as “Russian”.

At the same time, a few days ago, information appeared on the network only about London’s intentions to purchase a certain number of long-range missiles for Ukraine. For this purpose, Britain was looking for suitable companies.

Putin has already reacted to the supply of long-range weapons to Ukraine, which were “red lines” for the Russian Federation even in the first months of the full-scale invasion. “This will require an adequate response from our military, which, of course, from a military point of view, will make appropriate decisions against this background,” replied Dmytro Peskov in a comment to propagandists on May 11.

Ukraine has long been asking its allies to supply long-range weapons for the liberation of Crimea and strikes on military facilities in Russia itself. In response, Washington noted that the use of such types of weapons could lead to a new escalation of hostilities.

Talks about the transfer of F-16s to Ukraine have also increased recently, after the air defense forces showed skill in using advanced Patriots in the fight against Russian ballistic missiles.

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