France boosts Ukraine's defense with SCALP and Mistral missiles
French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced the provision of Mistral anti-aircraft missiles and SCALP cruise missiles to Ukraine. Both types are needed by Ukraine. Here, we present the capabilities of the donated equipment.
In an interview with Le Journal du Dimanche, French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu mentioned that he recently signed the transfer of approximately ten SCALP cruise missiles to Ukraine and announced another shipment of Mistral anti-aircraft missiles.
The SCALP missiles are designed to attack strategic targets, such as command posts or ammunition depots, while the Mistral missiles will help Ukraine defend against winter attacks from Russian drones and cruise missiles.
SCALP — French variant of Storm Shadow
The SCALP missiles are a counterpart to the British Storm Shadow, developed from Franco-British cooperation in the 1990s. Whereas the Storm Shadow is produced in the United Kingdom, the SCALP is manufactured in France.
Structurally, these are cruise missiles designed with stealth technology for launching from aircraft. Due to the Missile Technology Control Regime rules, they have a range of about 310 miles, which is reduced to 186 miles for foreign customers.
The missiles weigh approximately 2,866 pounds, with 992 pounds allocated to the BROACH (Bomb Royal Ordnance Augmented Charge) warhead. The remainder of the weight is mainly due to the turbojet engine and fuel supply. This configuration allows it to reach subsonic speeds between 0.8-0.9 Mach (604-684 mph).
The multifunctional BROACH warhead comprises two components: a shaped charge for breaching or damaging the surface of a target and a penetrating combat head. It's equipped with a Multi-Application Fuze Initiation System (MAFIS), which can be set with a delay of up to 240 milliseconds. This solution is effective, although not as advanced as in the TAURUS KEPD 350. The SCALP/Storm Shadow warhead can operate in several modes:
- impact detonation,
- airburst that disperses shrapnel over an area,
- delayed detonation.
Its significant destructive power is bolstered by pinpoint accuracy in all conditions. These missiles' guidance systems, besides the traditional combination of inertial and satellite navigation, also include a fourth-generation infrared sensor (IIR) that detects the thermal image of the target or terrain. This capability allows the missile to hit specific targets and assist in terrain tracking by comparing it to pre-loaded maps, ensuring accurate navigation resistant to GPS jamming.
Currently, Ukrainians carry these missiles using specially modified Su-24 aircraft. By 2025, French Mirage 2000 jets will join them.
Mistral missiles — effective against drones and cruise missiles
The Mistral is a man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS) in its latest version since 2019. It can target objects up to 4.7 miles away and at altitudes of up to 3.1 miles. The missile travels at 2.71 Mach (2,050 mph) and destroys its target with a 6.6-pound fragmentation warhead.
Missiles are launched from either a collapsible single launcher or a larger dual launcher, which Ukrainians often mount on pickups to create mobile anti-aircraft units.
A distinguishing feature of the Mistral is its head, which tracks the target's thermal image. This allows it to focus on the heated surface of an aircraft, not just the engines, making it resistant to flares. The manufacturer, MBDA, reported that 96% of launches resulted in the target being shot down. However, this technology's downside is its relatively high cost compared to competitors.
