Great Britain approved the transfer of Storm Shadow cruise missile production technology to Ukraine. This was announced on August 24 by the Prime Minister of Great Britain, Andy Burnham, during a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing in Kyiv, reported by UP.
According to Burnham, in 2023, Great Britain was one of the first countries to transfer long-range weapons to Ukraine.
He added that the British and French defense industries will work together with Ukraine to develop these capabilities.
Storm Shadow is produced by the European defense company MBDA. The French version of this missile is called SCALP.
Earlier, the British government announced that during the Prime Minister's visit to Kyiv, a decision would be made to allow MBDA to disclose secret information about the British components of the missile. This should help Ukraine and France in creating SCALP assembly lines in Ukraine.
Thus, it is not only about further supplies of finished missiles, but about the opportunity to develop their production directly in Ukraine.
Earlier, in June, former Minister of Defense of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov reported on negotiations with France regarding obtaining a license to produce SCALP cruise missiles.
What is known about Storm Shadow
Storm Shadow is a long-range air-to-surface cruise missile. Its purpose is the high-precision destruction of stationary, well-protected targets, including fortified objects and important infrastructure.
According to MBDA, the missile can be used day and night and in various weather conditions. For navigation, it uses a combination of an inertial system, GPS, and terrain contour matching.
After launch, Storm Shadow flies at a low altitude, making it difficult to detect. In the final phase of flight, the missile uses an infrared seeker to identify the target.
The technology transfer is also linked to the British Brakestop project, which involves the rapid development of inexpensive long-range strike assets for Ukraine.
If the agreements are implemented, Ukraine will receive not just additional missiles, but the opportunity to gradually create its own production capability for long-range weapons.
