Storm Shadow strikes stir political waves but miss military mark
Ukrainians attacked targets in the Kursk region. In a video shared online, missiles known as Storm Shadow/SCALP can be seen flying towards the Russian Federation. The target was likely an enemy post.
22 November 2024 13:19
In one of the videos from occupied Ukraine, the flight of Storm Shadow/SCALP missiles towards the Kursk region of the Russian Federation is captured. The video shows missiles flying over a pasture. According to a post published on the @Osinttechnical account on platform X (Twitter), the Storm Shadow/SCALP missiles were heading towards a Russian-North Korean post in the Kursk region.
The possibility for Ukrainian forces to use missiles like Storm Shadow or ATACMS to attack targets on Russian territory emerged in the second half of November 2024. Although this sounds like a turning point in military operations, experts argue that the approval granted by Ukraine's allies will not change the operational situation on the front line.
- The approval to use ATACMS or Storm Shadow missiles on Russian territory absolutely does not change the operational situation on the front. The range of ATACMS missiles is a maximum of 300 kilometres, and Ukrainians are already attacking Russian territory using drones at distances exceeding 1,000 kilometres. It's really more of a political issue than a military one - said Polish Commander Wiesław Goździewicz in a conversation with Wirtualna Polska Tech.
Storm Shadow missiles strike targets in Russia
Storm Shadow missiles belong to the "fire and forget" category. This means they are programmed before launch and cannot be controlled afterward. It is a low-detectability weapon with a range between 300 and 500 kilometres depending on the version. The missiles travel at altitudes between 40 to 150 metres and are capable of hitting targets with an estimated miss error of 1 to 3 metres.
These missiles weigh 1.3 tonnes, with the majority of this weight being a 450-kilogram BROACH (Bomb Royal Ordnance Augmented CHarge) warhead. The remaining part is mainly filled by the turbojet engine and necessary fuel reserves, allowing them to reach speeds in the range of 0.8 to 0.9 Mach.
The uniqueness of the missiles also lies in their advanced guidance system. They not only use traditional inertial and satellite navigation but are also equipped with a fourth-generation infrared sensor (IIR). This sensor enables the detection of the thermal shape of a target or surroundings, as well as terrain profile tracking, which is then compared with a preloaded map. This allows the missile to accurately navigate even in case of attempts
A problem with the use of Storm Shadow missiles during the ongoing war in Ukraine is the carriers. The missiles have so far been integrated only with Su-24 aircraft. According to some estimates, Ukrainians have only four of these types of machines.
