SCALP MISSILES

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Context

• French President Emmanuel Macron said on the first day of the NATO Summit that France will send Ukraine long-range SCALP missiles, which are analogous to the British Storm Shadow.

APACHE AP

• The APACHE AP and its variants are a series of French-made air-launched cruise missiles.

Storm Shadow / SCALP-EG

• It is a British-French air-launched cruise missile manufactured by MBDA.
• Storm Shadow is the British name for the weapon, while in the French army, it is called SCALP EG (Système de Croisière Autonome à Longue Portée – Emploi Général), which means a long-range general-purpose cruise missile).

SCALP

About

• Storm Shadow / SCALP is the air-launched long-range, conventionally armed, deep strike weapon, designed to meet the demanding requirements of pre-planned attacks against high-value fixed or stationary targets.

Development

• Developed jointly by the two NATO allies- UK and France, Storm Shadow/SCALP is a 1,300-kilogram missile armed with conventional explosives, usually launched from aircraft such as the Royal Air Force’s Eurofighter Typhoon or French Rafale.

Operations

• Storm Shadow / SCALP has been put into operations with the Royal Air Force and the French Air Force in 2003 and was used in the Gulf, Iraq and Libya.
• The weapon is now in service with three other nations giving unrivalled deep strike capability. Storm Shadow / SCALP is operated from Tornado, Rafale, Mirage 2000 and in the future from Eurofighter Typhoon.

Characteristics

• These cruise missiles are designed to engage fixed or moving targets with high accuracy. They are capable of operating in all weather conditions and can be launched from a variety of aircraft, including the Tornado, Rafale and Typhoon.
• The weapon offers operators a highly flexible, deep-strike capability based on a sophisticated mission planning system.
• The Storm Shadow / SCALP EG is powered by a turbojet engine and has a range of up to 560 km, but its export versions have a limited range of up to 250 km.
• They are equipped with various triple Navigation Systems, and Guidance Systems, including Inertial Navigation, Terrain Tracking Sensors and Radar.
• The missiles can carry various warheads, such as conventional explosives, cluster munitions and nuclear warheads.
• These advanced navigation systems, combined with an imaging infrared seeker and automatic target recognition algorithms, allow the missile to effectively hit the targeted impact point in severe conditions.
• The missiles have been praised for their accuracy and effectiveness.
• They are credited with destroying a number of important targets, including command centres, air defence systems and military bases.

Features and functionality of Storm Shadow / SCALP EG

• The Storm Shadow / SCALP EG cruise missiles are highly effective weapons systems, with a number of features that make them effective in combat, in particular:

Long Range:

• Storm Shadow / SCALP EG has a range of up to 560 km, enabling it to hit targets deep inside enemy territory.

Precise Targeting:

• Storm Shadow / SCALP EG is equipped with various guidance systems, including inertial navigation, terrain tracking and radar. This allows them to engage targets with high accuracy.

Low Radar Visibility:

• Storm Shadow / SCALP EG is designed to operate stealthily, making it difficult for enemy air defences to detect it.

Payload Flexibility:

• These cruise missiles can carry a variety of warheads, including conventional explosives, cluster munitions and nuclear warheads. This gives them the ability to hit a wide range of targets.
• The Storm Shadow / SCALP EG is a long-range, air-launched, “fire and forget” cruise missile.
• This means that it can be launched and then not tracked, as it will move to its target autonomously.
• The missile is equipped with a variety of guidance systems, including GPS, inertial navigation and the TERPROM system, which allow it to fly low and avoid detection by enemy air defences.

Design of the Storm Shadow / SCALP EG cruise missile

• The Storm Shadow / SCALP EG is a highly advanced and versatile missile that can be used to engage a variety of targets, including enemy air defences, command and control centres, military installations and even bunkers.
• The long-range air-launched cruise missile itself consists of the following components:
• Cylindrical body made of composite materials
• A pair of wings that provide lift and control
• A tail unit that provides stability
• Propulsion system, which consists of a turbojet engine and a direct-flow jet engine
• Navigation system including GPS, inertial system and TERPROM, terminal stage – infrared homing head, DSMAС
• A warhead that can be either conventional or nuclear.

Which aircraft are capable of launching Storm Shadow

• The SCALP EG cruise missile can be launched from a variety of aircraft, including:
• Dassault Rafale
• Eurofighter Typhoon
• Panavia Tornado
• Dassault Mirage 2000
• AMX International AMX
• BAE Hawk

 https://www.firstpost.com/explainers/france-to-send-scalp-missiles-to-ukraine-how-will-this-long-range-weapon-help-12855822.html