Ukrainian strike with storm shadow missiles targets Kursk bunker
The Ukrainians launched an attack using at least six Storm Shadow cruise missiles on Lgov in the Kursk Oblast. We explain what the target might have been and present the performance of the British-French missiles used.
Recordings have surfaced on the internet from Lgov, showing a fire at the impact location, and Russian media report at least six soldiers killed and 22 injured. It appears that the target was a command bunker for the counteroffensive in the Kursk Oblast, as few other targets would justify using at least six very valuable and scarce Storm Shadow/SCALP cruise missiles.
This marks the second attack on a command bunker in the Kursk Oblast. In the previous attack, high-ranking officers from North Korea were reportedly killed so that it may have happened again this time.
Storm Shadow missiles — Europe's long arm
These missiles resulted from Franco-British cooperation in the 1990s and are produced as Storm Shadow in the United Kingdom and SCALP in France. Structurally, they are stealth technology missiles adapted for launch from aircraft, featuring a range of about 310 miles or 190 miles for export clients due to the limitations of the Missile Technology Control Regime.
The Storm Shadow/SCALP missiles weigh about 1.4 tons, with the BROACH warhead weighing 990 pounds. The rest of the mass primarily relates to the turbojet engine and fuel, which enable them to achieve subsonic speeds of 0.8 to 0.9 Mach.
The BROACH warhead is multifunctional and contains two components: a shaped charge for destroying the surface layer of the target or exposing it from the ground and the main penetrating warhead. It is equipped with the Multi-Application Fuze Initiation System (MAFIS) fuse, which allows for detonations delayed up to 240 milliseconds. Despite its effectiveness, this system is less advanced than the TAURUS KEPD 350. The SCALP/Storm Shadow warhead operates in various modes:
- explosion upon hitting the target,
- air detonation, creating a shower of fragments,
- delayed detonation.
The precision of hitting and striking power is enabled by pinpoint accuracy in all conditions. These missiles are guided not only by inertial and satellite systems but also by an infrared sensor that detects the thermal image of the target (IIR). They also can scan the terrain and compare it with a preloaded map, ensuring accurate navigation even in conditions of strong GPS jamming.
Currently, the Ukrainians use modified Su-24 aircraft as carriers for these missiles, but by 2025, they plan to add Mirage 2000 jets from France. The Storm Shadow/SCALP missiles represent the only Ukrainian weapon designed to destroy fortified structures like bunkers.
