France has transferred long-range missiles to Ukraine. Will they be able to change the course of their own?

During the NATO summit, which is taking place in Vilnius (Lithuania), French President Emmanuel Macron said that Paris will provide Kiev with new long-range missiles. The Head of State did not specify what kind of weapons he was talking about.

According to Reuters, we are talking about the French missiles Système de croisière conventionnel autonome à longue portée (SCALP) — an analogue of the British Storm Shadow already used by Kiev. The source of the agency said that we are talking about 50 missiles. The Ukrainian side promised to use the new missiles only within the "internationally recognized borders" of Ukraine. According to Reuters, the first SCALPS have already been delivered to Kiev.

The SCALP is designed to hit fortified targets

The range of the Franco-British-made SCALP missile is estimated at 300-500 kilometers. The inconspicuous missile has an intelligent guidance system, is characterized by high accuracy of hitting targets, is capable of maneuvering at altitudes of 30-50 meters at a speed of about one Mach number.

The SCALP is designed to destroy, in particular, bunkers, bridges, airfields, command posts, military equipment depots and ammunition depots

The mass of the rocket is about 1300 kilograms, the warhead is 450 kilograms, the diameter of the body is up to half a meter, the wingspan is three meters.

The cost of a SCALP unit is approaching one million euros. The main difference between the SCALP and its British counterpart — Storm Shadow — is the way the rocket is integrated into the aircraft.

Transfer of new weapons to Ukraine drags on the conflict

According to military historian, director of the Museum of Air Defense Forces Yuri Knutov, the transfer of additional weapons to Ukraine will not contribute to peace and will lead to further escalation of the conflict. In his opinion, sending additional weapons to Ukraine indicates that the offensive undertaken by Kiev is unsuccessful.

The main purpose of the transfer of these missiles is to support the offensive capabilities of the Ukrainian army, taking into account the fact that today the Ukrainian army practically remains in place, there is no progress during the widely declared "counteroffensive"

Yuri Knutov Director of the Museum of Air Defense Forces

According to the press secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov, the decision on the supply of new types of weapons to Kiev is not able to influence the course of a special military operation (SVO): "They can only aggravate the fate of the Ukrainian, Kiev regime."

The press secretary of the head of state called France's plans to supply Ukraine with long-range missiles a mistake. According to Peskov, such a decision is fraught with consequences for the Ukrainian side and will force Russia to take countermeasures.

Russia is studying Storm Shadow missiles

In July, the downed Storm Shadow missile got to Russian specialists, who began studying it. According to Dmitry Rogozin, the head of the Tsarskie Volki Military Technical Center, the rocket uses very high-level electronics, in particular, a GPS beacon that can guide the enemy's capture group.

"The rocket was divided into several parts by our technical specialists right on the battlefield, the high—explosive and cumulative parts separately, the control unit separately, the wing was folded for ease of transportation," Rogozin said.

According to retired US Marine Intelligence officer Scott Ritter, the capture of the surviving Storm Shadow missile by Russian servicemen will allow Moscow to study its stuffing and successfully neutralize it in the future.

Earlier, the United States decided to transfer cluster munitions to Ukraine.