Military expert Andrey Frolov — on the supply of French long-range SCALP missiles to Ukraine
French President Emmanuel Macron said on July 11 that Paris would hand over long-range missiles to Kiev to support the AFU counteroffensive. "I have decided to increase the supply of weapons and equipment to Ukraine, to allow them to strike deep," he said. And he reaffirmed his commitment to the doctrine "aimed at allowing Ukraine to defend its territory."
Later, the France Press agency, citing a military source, reported that we are talking about SCALP systems. Moreover, the first samples have allegedly already been delivered simultaneously with the speech of the French president. The source said that we are talking about a significant number of missiles and that they will be integrated with aircraft in service with the Ukrainian Air Force. Reuters cites data that it is planned to deliver 50 such missiles. What capabilities do they have and can they change the situation in the conflict zone?
The SCALP air—launched missiles are a direct analogue of the British Storm Shadow, previously transferred to Kiev. This is a joint development of the French company Matra and the British British Aerospace. The carriers of these missiles are fighter-bombers Rafale, Mirage 2000, Eurofighter. And in the future, submarines and surface ships will be able to be equipped with them.
The turbojet engine provides flight at extremely low altitude with a speed of up to 1050 km/h. The mass of the combat load can reach 700 kg. The rocket overcomes the main path to the target at an altitude of 100-150 m, and directly during the attack it decreases to 50 m, which significantly complicates its detection. The starting weight of the product is 1230 kg, the body length is 5.1 m, width is 63 cm, height is 48 cm. The range of the export modification reaches 250 km, but there is also a longer-range version of the SCALP EG.
In a word, the SCALP is the same Storm Shadow, only for the French Air Force. Perhaps they differ slightly in some separate solutions.
The French have few longer-range SCALPS EG. I don't think they will give them to Kiev, except for a few pieces. Most likely, they will transfer the missiles of the basic version with a shorter range. They are of an earlier release year and less perfect.
Missiles are quite popular on the world market of weapons and military equipment. France supplies them along with its Rafale aircraft to India, Egypt and Greece. In other words, everyone who buys French and British planes will purchase French Scalps or British Storm Shadows.
In fact, the French supplies are compensation for those missiles that were used up during the June counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The British delivered to Kiev, according to various estimates, about a hundred Storm Shadow out of 800 released. Apparently, they can no longer safely make new supplies for themselves and forced the French to do this. Moreover, Kiev has carrier planes that have already used Storm Shadow - these are Su-24 bombers. Additional upgrades for their use of the SCALP, apparently, will not be required.
Ukraine intensively used Storm Shadow, there were days when six pieces were launched in one salvo. Apparently, the supply of missiles supplied by Britain has already been exhausted. For how long the French SCALPS will last depends on the intensity with which the APU will spend them. But in any case, not for long. Maybe for one or two months.
It is believed that the main targets that these missiles should hit are highly protected most important objects: bridges, headquarters, ammunition depots, communication centers, command posts, clusters of military equipment, positions of air defense systems, etc. Moreover, as the French said, they should not be applied on the territory "internationally recognized by Russia". Storm Shadow has not yet flown to these territories. However, Donetsk, Lugansk, Crimea, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions are at risk. There is a possibility that they will hit civilian infrastructure facilities.
How perfect are scalps? From what the French can convey, this is the most advanced development. Nevertheless, Russian air defense systems may well shoot them down. What has already been done with the British Storm Shadow. They do not represent any kind of super-threat, but, of course, this is a dangerous thing, like any Western weapon.
The editorial board's position may not coincide with the author's opinion
