Storm Shadow

Storm Shadow/SCALP EG
A missile displayed in the RAF Museum, London
Type	Air-launched cruise missile
Place of origin	France & United Kingdom
Service history
In service	Since 2003
Used by	See operators
Wars	Iraq War 2011 military intervention in Libya American-led intervention in the Syrian civil war Yemeni civil war Russo-Ukrainian War
Production history
Designer	Matra BAe Dynamics
Designed	1994–2001
Manufacturer	MBDA
Unit cost	£2,000,000 (FY2023) (US$2,500,000)[1][2]
Specifications
Mass	1,300 kg (2,900 lb)
Length	5.1 m (16 ft 9 in)
Width	630 mm (25 in)
Height	480 mm (19 in)
Wingspan	3 m (9 ft 10 in)
Warhead	Multistage BROACH penetration warhead
Warhead weight	450 kilograms (990 lb)
Engine	Microturbo TRI 60-30 turbojet 5.4 kN (1,200 lbf)
Operational range	550 km (300 nmi; 340 mi)
Maximum speed	Mach 0.95 (323 m/s; 1,060 ft/s)
Guidance system	GPS, INS, IIR & TERPROM
Steering system	6 tailplanes (4 vertical & 2 horizontal)
Transport	Mirage 2000, Rafale, Su-24, Tornado, Typhoon, Gripen
References	Janes[3] & The Telegraph[4][5]

The Storm Shadow is a Franco-British low-observable, long-range air-launched cruise missile developed since 1994 by Matra and British Aerospace, and now manufactured by MBDA.^[6] "Storm Shadow" is the weapon's British name; in France it is called SCALP-EG (which stands for "Système de Croisière Autonome à Longue Portée – Emploi Général"; English: "Long Range Autonomous Cruise Missile System – General Purpose"). The missile is based on the French-developed Apache anti-runway cruise missile, but differs in that it carries a unitary warhead instead of cluster munitions.^[7]

To meet the requirement issued by the French Ministry of Defence for a more potent cruise missile capable of being launched from surface vessels and submarines, and able to strike strategic and military targets from extended standoff ranges with even greater precision, MBDA France began development of the Missile de Croisière Naval ("Naval Cruise Missile") or MdCN in 2006 to complement the SCALP. The first firing test took place in July 2013 and was successful.^[8] The MdCN has been operational on French FREMM frigates since 2017 and also equips France's Barracuda nuclear attack submarines, which entered operational service in 2022.

In 2017, a joint contract to upgrade the respective Storm Shadow/SCALP stockpiles in French and British service was signed. It is expected to sustain the missile until its planned withdrawal from service in 2032.^[9][10]

France, the UK, along with Italy are jointly developing the Future Cruise/Anti-Ship Weapon to replace SCALP/Storm Shadow and each nation's respective anti-ship missiles by 2028 and 2034.