Storm
Shadow is an Anglo-French air-launched cruise missile, manufactured by
MBDA and used by France, Italy and the United Kingdom.
Storm
Shadow is the British name for the weapon; in French service it is
called SCALP EG (Emploi Général, meaning General Purpose). The SCALP EG, is essentially the same
missile but uses a different interface to attach to the parent
aircraft.
The missile
is based on the earlier MBDA Apache anti-runway missile, and differs
in that it carries a warhead, rather than submunitions
The stealthy missile has a range in excess of 150 mi (250 km), is
powered by a turbojet at Mach 0.8 and can be carried by the Tornado
GR4, Italian Tornado IDS, Eurofighter Typhoon, Dassault Mirage 2000
and Dassault Rafale aircraft. The F-35 Lightning II will also carry
the missile once the aircraft enters service. The BROACH warhead
features an initial penetrating charge to clear soil or enter a
bunker, then a variable delay fuse to control detonation of the main
warhead. The missile weighs about 1,300 kg has a maximum body diameter
of 1 m and a wingspan of 3 m. Intended targets are command, control
and communications; airfield facilities; port facilities;
AMS/ammunition storage; ships/submarines in port; and bridges.
It is a fire and forget missile, programmed before launch. Once
launched, the missile cannot be controlled, its target information
changed or be self-destroyed. Mission planners programme the missile
with the target air defences and target. The missile follows a path
semi-autonomously, on a low flight path guided by GPS and terrain
matching to the area of the target.
Close to the target, the missile bunts, climbing to an altitude
intended to achieve the best probability of target identification and
penetration. During the bunt, the nose cone is jettisoned to allow a
high resolution infrared camera to observe the target area (the bunt
enlarges the field of vision). The missile then tries to locate its
target based upon its targeting information. If it can not, and there
is a high risk of collateral damage, it will fly to a crash point
instead of risking inaccuracy.
STORM SHADOW /
SCALP EG Specifications |
Type |
Conventionally armed stand off missile (CASOM) |
Manufacturer |
MBDA |
Weight |
1,300kg |
Warhead |
450kg BROACH (Bomb Royal Ordnance Augmented
CHarge) |
Length |
5.1m |
Diameter |
0.166m |
Wingspan |
3m (Fins deployed) |
Performance |
Speed Mach 0.8+, range >
250km, guidance inertial, GPS and Terpom and infrared imagery homing head |
Propulsion |
Turbomeca Microturbo
TRI 60-30 turbojet, producing 5.4kN thrust |