Posted on 09/13/2024 9:20:10 PM PDT by ransomnote
SNIP
The system was previously made particularly effective by a wide network of Western personnel - both active duty and contractors - providing support in areas from intelligence to logistics to ensure that new equipment can be operated effectively. Access to hundreds of satellites from NATO members, which can provide key targeting data on Russian positions, has also been key, with HIMARS itself reliant on GPS guidance. While Russian air defences have frequently shot down rockets from the HIMARS system, it was not clarified how Russian forces may have eroded its effectiveness. Electronic warfare and some means of jamming its guidance remains likely, however, with Russian ground forces benefitting from much greater concentrations of electronic warfare equipment and specialists in their ranks than their Western counterparts.
SNIP
The Congress and Senate need to intervein into the conduct of the Biden Administration. Relying on another party not to use weapons against NATO itself is insaine, especially when Russia is a nuclear power.
None of the missiles being discussed to be fired into Russia can be utilized without USG approval. They are all Foreign Military Sales programs. If Britian first the Storm “Shadow Missile” they are firing a jointly developed munition, using the same firing systems and technologies, and the parts all come from the same source.
Britian cannot launch missiles into Russia without the USG allowing them to do.
If Deep Strike Missiles are launched into Russia, the White House will have to authorize their use. The British Storm “Shadow” Missile is a joint US-Brit Foreign Military Sales program. Third Country Sales govern their transfer to Ukraine. The British, French and German Missiles are all Joint US-FMS programs.
The White House would have to approve any of the these sister systems use against Russia. These are a part of US Military Sales and Third Country Sales. The US retains all rights to production, manufacture or distribution of any licensed equipment or systems. The US controls how many, who can buy from the British or French, or Germans, and where they can be used, how they can be used - legally.
The British Storm and French Missiles are the same at the German Tarus or HIMARS. All are jointly developed by the US Army Missile Command with partner countries.
Here is a press release on the US Army Missile Command and Brit’s test firing the STORM Missile. The STORM Project Office is a US progrm to jointly develop US systems under license to British.
STORM Project Office and British Army successfully conduct 10th Steel Thunder
On March 31 through April 1, 2021, the Strategic and Operational Rockets and Missiles Project Office and United Kingdom’s British Army successfully conducted the 10th Steel Thunder exercise at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. The British Army invited an international partner, equipped with the Multiple Launch Rocket System weapon system, to successfully conduct a joint live-fire mission and prove they can fire one another’s munitions.
“For several years, Foreign Military Sales partner nations have desired to demonstrate this capability,” said James Carter, STORM PO International Programs management specialist. “It was a perfect opportunity to send an MLRS launcher to WSMR and conduct the operation with all of the players in the same location – with the right support and expertise to troubleshoot any issues and maximize the odds of success!”
The significant accomplishment demonstrated the ability to share munitions among international partner nations with MLRS launchers. The U.K. Guided MLRS rockets were successfully fired from another partner nation’s MLRS launcher. The exercise verified interoperability among allied nations on the battlefield and proved ammunition resupply is possible from one nation to another in a coalition warfare environment. Although the U.S. has demonstrated this interoperability in the past, this recent event is the first time two partner nations demonstrated it with each other.
The spring 2021 Steel Thunder training exercise marked the U.K.’s 10th routine live-fire training event. Steel Thunder exercises first began at WSMR in 2011 in close coordination with the STORM Project Office and the British Army. The live fires were conducted to certify British Army MLRS launcher crews as operationally ready to fire GMLRS Unitary in a combat environment, before deploying to Afghanistan. Although the U.K. withdrew its MLRS units from the Afghanistan in 2014, the annual capstone exercise has continued.
Prior to 2021, Steel Thunder occurred annually, but the U.K. has already conducted one mission this year with another operation planned for the fall. Through additional exercises, the British Army is able to provide routine live-fire certifications for its MLRS crews.
“These events demonstrate U.S. commitment to continued training for the U.K.,” said Nathan List, STORM PO, International Cooperative Programs chief. “The hands-on training confirmed the munition interoperability and built on the excellent relationship among all partner countries.”
1.2 The CMST is a set of two suitcases used by Field Service Representatives (FSR) to test and troubleshoot CFCS Line Replaceable Units (LRUs) in the field and is designed by Systems Simulation, Software and Integration Directorate (S3I), a US Army agency. All CFCS Field Artillery Launcher platforms will use the CMST.
https://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/storm-shadow-missile/
The Storm Shadow / SCALP is a long-range, air-launched, stand-off attack missile offered by France-based MBDA Systems primarily for the UK and French armed forces. It is derived from the MBDA Systems’ Apache anti-runway missile.
The missile is intended to strike high-valued stationary assets such as airbases, radar installations, communications hubs and port facilities. The Storm Shadow can engage the targets precisely in any weather conditions during day and night. The long range and low attitude combined with subsonic speed make the Storm Shadow a stealthy missile.
The Storm Shadow is also in service with the air forces of Egypt, India, Italy, Greece, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It is referred to as Black Shaheen in the UAE Air Force service.
The Storm Shadow can be integrated into Tornado GR4, Tornado IDS, Saab Gripen, Mirage 2000, Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft. In March 2021, the missile was launched by UK Royal Air Force’s Eurofighter Typhoon for the first time on operations against the Islamic State in Iraq.
Storm Shadow programme and order details
The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) placed a €1.13bn contract with MBDA Systems for the development and production of the Storm Shadow long range missile in 1997. The programme was intended to meet the conventionally armed stand-off missile (CASOM) requirement of the UK Royal Air Force (RAF).
The French Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA) awarded a development and production contract to MBDA Systems in December 1997. The French version, known as SCALP, is intended for the Mirage 2000D and Rafale aircraft.
In October 1999, Italy placed an order for the Storm Shadow weapon for the deployment on the IDS Tornado of the Italian Air Force. In the same year, the UAE awarded a contract to MBDA System for the Storm Shadow missiles for its Mirage 2000-9 fleet.
The government of Greece awarded a contract in August 2000 to equip Mirage 2000-5 Mk2 fighters of the Hellenic Air Force with Storm Shadow missiles. Greece also placed another order in December 2003 for additional missiles.
Storm Shadow was successfully fired from the RAF’s Tornado GR4 aircraft during Operation Telic in 2003. The SCALP missile entered into service with the French Air Force in 2004. The missile was operated for the first time by France in March 2011.
In February 2017, MBDA led the mid-life refurbishment of Storm Shadow / SCALP EG cruise missiles for the UK and French Ministries of Defence.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) approached MBDA for recalibrating the software of Rafale fighter jet’s SCALP missile in December 2020. The upgrade allows the missile to hit targets up to 4,000m above sea level.
Design features of Storm Shadow
The Storm Shadow missile is designed to penetrate deep into hard rock targets. It is equipped with fire-and-forget technology and fully autonomous guidance. The missile has a length of 5.1m, wingspan of 3m, and a body diameter of 0.48m. It weighs 1,300kg and has a range of more than 250km.
Storm Shadow guidance and navigation system
The Storm Shadow missile is designed to strike the targets with an enhanced accuracy, employing different navigation systems installed onboard.
The navigation system of the missile includes inertial navigation (INS), global positioning system (GPS) and terrain reference navigation for better control over the path and accurate target strike. The missile is fitted with a passive imaging infrared seeker.
The Storm Shadow missile is programmed with every detail of the target and the path to be taken to reach the target prior to its launch. Once released from the aircraft, the missile follows a pre-programmed path at low level with the help of continuous updates from the onboard navigation system. It employs imaging infrared seeker to compare the actual target area with stored imagery repeatedly until reaching the target.
Storm Shadow warhead
The missile is fitted with a two-stage bomb royal ordnance augmented charge (BROACH) blast/ penetrator warhead.
The first stage of the warhead makes the way for the second stage by cutting the surface of the target. The larger second stage (main) of the warhead then penetrates into the target and detonates.
Storm Shadow propulsion system
The Storm Shadow missile is equipped with a Turbomeca Microturbo TRI 60-30 turbojet propulsion system, which can produce a 5.4kN of thrust.
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