Italy may provide Ukraine with Storm Shadow missiles, reports say
Photo: Italy may transfer Storm Shadow (MBDA) to Ukraine
Italy may provide Ukraine with long-range Storm Shadow missiles in the next military aid package, Italian news agency Fatto Quotidiano reports.
The 9th arms package for Ukraine, which Defense Minister Guido Crosetto will present to parliament by the end of the month, will include not only the Samp-T air defense system but also a batch of long-range Storm Shadow missiles that could potentially hit Russian soil, authoritative sources familiar with the situation told the news agency.
Storm Shadow missiles
Storm Shadow missiles are long-range, stealthy, air-to-ground cruise missiles developed jointly by France and the United Kingdom. The French counterparts are called Scalp.
Here are some of the key characteristics of Storm Shadow missiles:
- Range: More than 560 kilometers, allowing them to hit targets far beyond enemy air defenses.
- High accuracy: Equipped with a modern TERCOM (Terrain Contour Matching) system and GPS navigation, which ensures high accuracy of the strike.
- Low visibility: Low radar visibility makes them difficult to detect by enemy radars.
- Flexibility: Can be programmed to attack a variety of targets, including bunkers, air defense systems, and bridges.
Storm Shadow has been in service with the Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom and the French Air Force since 2003.
In 2023, the UK transferred a batch of Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine. France handed over Scalp missiles. The transfer of these missiles to Ukraine has significantly strengthened its ability to counter Russian aggression.
Earlier, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that Italy plans to transfer another SAMP/T air defense system to Ukraine.
