Ukraine's strategic strike in Crimea challenges Russia with Storm Shadow missiles

The Ukrainian Air Forces launched a strike operation on Russian targets located in Crimea using Storm Shadow cruise missiles. Here are the details of the attack and the weaponry used by the Ukrainians.

In response to Russian missile strikes, the Ukrainians aimed to deal significant blows to the Russian forces using the highly effective British-French Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG cruise missiles, among other tools.

This operation targeted two Ropucha-class landing ships, the Yamal and the Azov, as well as aircraft and personnel stationed at the Belbek airport. This isn't the first successful assault on the Black Sea Fleet's ships with Storm Shadow missiles, but it certainly ranks among the most impactful. Given the fate of previous vessels struck by these missiles, the Yamal and Azov are likely severely damaged, if not beyond repair.

Storm Shadow/SCALP missiles, provided by France and the UK, have been used by the Ukrainians. These missiles, developed by the MBDA company since the early 21st century, boast a range of about 310 miles (around 500 km) for their producing nations and 186 miles (approximately 300 km) for foreign clients. This discrepancy is due to limitations set by the Missile Technology Control Regime.

The Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG missiles are designed with stealth capabilities and powered by a turbojet engine, achieving subsonic speeds of 0.8-0.9 Mach. They can be deployed from aircraft that can carry payloads weighing around 2,866 pounds (about 1.3 tonnes), of which around 992 pounds (approximately 450 kg) is the weight of the BROACH (Bomb Royal Ordnance Augmented CHarge) warhead.

The BROACH warhead features a two-stage mechanism that begins with a small, shaped charge at the forefront to breach a fortified surface or compromise its initial layer. This is followed by the detonation of the main warhead, which can be timed to delay it.

The Multi-Application Fuze Initiation System (MAFIS) permits timing adjustments up to 240 ms, tailored to the target's specifics before launch. The warhead can function in various modes, achieving direct hits, airbursts to disperse shrapnel over an extensive area, or delayed detonation.

A sophisticated guidance system guarantees accuracy in delivering the warhead, ensuring precision even when satellite navigation signals are compromised. Beyond the standard GPS and INS navigation systems, the Storm Shadow also incorporates a 4th-generation infrared sensor, or IIR, which captures the thermal footprint of the target.

This technology guides the missile during its final approach and facilitates terrain mapping by comparing it to preloaded maps, guaranteeing unmatched accuracy regardless of conditions.

Moreover, the missile's stealth design and capability to fly at extremely low altitudes allow it to effectively elude Russian anti-aircraft radar, posing a substantial challenge even for detection systems tracking at close distances.