Ukraine shows footage of combat use of Storm Shadow missiles for the first time

To mark the 20th anniversary of the Ukrainian Air Force, the Ukrainian Air Force released the first official video demonstrating the launch of Storm Shadow/SCALP cruise missiles from a Su-24 aircraft.

Here's What We Know

The video, published on the Air Force's YouTube channel, shows the aircraft launching the missile from an altitude of approximately 500 metres at subsonic speed. It is worth noting that the Su-24s do not perform anti-aircraft evasive manoeuvres after launch, indicating that the missiles were fired from a safe distance from the front line.

Prior to this release, the only available footage of Storm Shadow/SCALP missiles was from MBDA, dating from the late 1990s and early 2000s. Despite their widespread use in conflicts such as Iraq, Libya and Syria since 2003, this is the first time they have been seen in combat use by the Ukrainian Air Force.

In Ukraine, these precision-guided missiles, provided by the United Kingdom, played a crucial role in hitting important targets, including the Russian Black Sea Fleet headquarters in Sevastopol and a submarine. Delivered in May 2023, the Storm Shadow missiles have dramatically changed Ukraine's defence capabilities.

Flashback

The Storm Shadow (also known as SCALP in France) is a long-range cruise missile developed jointly by the United Kingdom and France. It is designed to engage important stationary targets such as bunkers, command centres and enemy infrastructure with high precision. The missile is equipped with a guidance system using inertial navigation and GPS, and has a thermobaric warhead. The Storm Shadow can be launched from a variety of aircraft, such as Tornado, Rafale and Typhoon, among others. Its maximum range is about 560 km, which allows the missile to be launched from a safe distance from enemy targets.

Source: Defence Industry Europe