Ukrainian Su-27 and Su-24 aircraft will be able to launch Storm Shadow missiles and destroy targets up to 250km away

This week, the UK officially announced the transfer of Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine. With a launch range of up to 250km, they will pose a great challenge to the Russian army and allow Ukrainian pilots to strike while remaining out of range of the enemy's air defences.

Here's What We Know

Storm Shadow is an air-launched missile. Carriers are Tornado IDS, Eurofighter Typhoon, Dassault Mirage 2000, Dassault Rafale and F-35 Lightning II fighters. None of these aircraft are in Ukraine, but the problem is being addressed.

The Ukrainian Air Force has only Soviet-era aircraft in service. The Su-25 attack aircraft and MiG-29 fighter can carry payloads weighing up to 500 kg. At the same time, the weight of the Strom Shadow missile is approximately 1300 kg.

The Su-27 heavy fighter and the Su-24 tactical frontline bomber can come to the rescue in this situation. These aircraft have the required payload capacity and are capable of carrying weapons weighing more than 1,500 kg.

At the moment there is no information on how far the Ukrainian specialists have progressed in integrating Storm Shadow into Soviet aircraft. In theory, there shouldn't be much of a problem, as the target coordinates will be set on the ground before flight. For this reason, there is no need for a special interface on the aircraft.

Moreover, the Ukrainian Air Force already has experience of integrating Western weapons into Soviet fighters. For example, last year they learned how to launch AGM-88 HARM anti-radar missiles from MiG-29s. Ukraine also received JDAM-ER bombs.

Source: The Drive