The Storm Shadow is a Franco-British, long-range, air-launched cruise missile designed for precision strikes against high-value, hardened targets. Known as the SCALP-EG in France, it is manufactured by the defense company MBDA. The missile has gained recent notoriety for its use by Ukraine in the Russo-Ukrainian War. 
Key features

• Stealth capabilities: The missile has a low-observable design and flies at a low, terrain-hugging altitude to help it evade enemy radar detection.
• Guidance system: It is a "fire-and-forget" weapon, pre-programmed with a flight path and target data before launch. Its sophisticated guidance system combines:
  • Inertial navigation system (INS)
  • Global Positioning System (GPS)
  • Terrain-reference navigation (TERPROM)
  • An imaging infrared (IIR) seeker for terminal guidance

• Warhead: The missile is equipped with a 450 kg multi-stage BROACH (Bomb Royal Ordnance Augmented Charge) warhead. A precursor charge first penetrates the target, followed by a main charge that detonates inside for maximum destructive effect.
• Range and speed: It travels at a subsonic speed of approximately Mach 0.8 and has an operational range of around 550 km, allowing it to be launched from a safe standoff distance.
• Aircraft compatibility: The Storm Shadow can be launched from a variety of fighter jets, including the Eurofighter Typhoon, Dassault Rafale, and a modified Sukhoi Su-24. 

Operational history
The Storm Shadow has been used in several conflicts, demonstrating its effectiveness against fortified structures and strategic military targets. 

• Iraq and Libya: The missile saw its first combat use by the UK Royal Air Force during the 2003 invasion of Iraq and was later used by French and Italian forces during the 2011 intervention in Libya.
• Syria: Both British and French forces used Storm Shadows in strikes against targets in Syria.
• Russo-Ukrainian War: Since the UK and France began supplying the missile to Ukraine in 2023, it has been used to great effect. Notable strikes have included:
  • Damaging or sinking multiple Russian ships in the Black Sea, including the submarine Rostov na Donu and the landing ship Minsk.
  • Hitting the headquarters of Russia's Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol.
  • Striking military and industrial facilities deep inside Russian territory. 

Limitations and future

• Veto restrictions: Earlier versions of the missile relied on classified U.S. cartographic data for guidance, giving the U.S. government veto power over exports. This has been a source of tension, and some "ITAR-free" versions have been developed that are more vulnerable to electronic warfare.
• Export version: Export versions of the missile have a shorter range (around 250 km) to comply with international arms control treaties.
• Future replacement: France, the UK, and Italy are jointly developing the Future Cruise/Anti-Ship Weapon (FC/ASW) to eventually replace the Storm Shadow.

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