Storm Shadow Missiles: The Game-Changing Weapon in Ukraine’s Counter-Offensive
The Storm Shadow cruise missile, a weapon that has been instrumental in Ukraine’s counter-offensive, is a game-changer on the battlefield. With a range of over 155 miles, three times that of the HIMARS in Ukraine, these highly precise weapons are forcing a reevaluation of logistics in Moscow. The Storm Shadow’s reach allows Ukraine to target a vast territory, including key command and control centers in places like Berdyansk.
The Storm Shadow’s miniaturized jet engine, lightweight materials, and autonomous navigation systems allow it to travel far beyond the line of sight of a launching aircraft to complete its mission. Its 155-mile range was instrumental in Ukraine’s successful strike on a bridge more than 100 miles from the front lines, a bridge that Russian troops had relied on for supplies into the Kherson and Zaporizhia regions.
But the missile’s strength is not just its range. Its pre-programmed targeting is also highly precise. Unlike unguided artillery that targets a general area, the target for a Storm Shadow can be as precise as a specific hangar at an airbase. This precision is made possible by the missile’s three different types of navigation: inertial navigation system (INS), GPS, and terrain contour matching.
The INS is a collection of onboard motion sensors that track the orientation and velocity of the missile, calculating its location without satellites. However, errors can creep into the system with longer missions, so the Storm Shadow also gets periodic GPS updates. The third type of navigation, terrain contour matching, uses an altimeter to help establish its location. The Storm Shadow measures changes in the elevation of the terrain below it and compares it to its onboard database. All the while, the missile is flying at terrain-hugging altitude, making it difficult to shoot down due to radar detection.
The Storm Shadow also appears to be outfitted with additional countermeasures that make it even harder to intercept. While the exact type isn’t publicly disclosed, in general, missile countermeasures can include things like infrared decoys or flares that will divert an infrared-seeking interceptor missile.
Once the missile identifies and strikes its target, the Storm Shadow’s impact is comparably more lethal against hardened targets because of a feature called delayed detonation. As the missile strikes its target, an initial smaller charge will detonate, pushing through walls or reinforcement. This allows the main warhead to penetrate deep inside the target, and only then will that main warhead detonate. The delay, often just milliseconds, allows for devastating effects.
These capabilities — range, precision, and lethal impact — have allowed Ukrainian forces to strike buildings across occupied parts of Ukraine. One attack tied to the Storm Shadow was reportedly able to hit a hotel about 95 miles behind the front lines, killing a Russian general, Lieutenant General Sukhov. This attack in June marks the highest-ranking casualty among Russian forces, demonstrating the precision of the weapon at work.
However, the estimated cost of a Storm Shadow is more than one million dollars per unit, making it one of the most expensive strike munitions that Ukraine currently possesses. All of these features require high-end, expensive technology, so in many ways, it has more in common with building an iPhone than it does an artillery shell.
This cost leads to one of the biggest limitations Ukraine has with the Storm Shadow: its number of units. Britain hasn’t released the number of Storm Shadows sent before the war. Defense intelligence companies estimated that the UK had roughly 822 Storm Shadows in its arsenal. Just one example of how shallow the Storm Shadow supply is.
During the 2011 Libya intervention that brought down Muammar Gaddafi, the UK and France ran out of precision-guided munitions, including Storm Shadows. Only a small fraction of an already small pile is going to Ukraine. It is broadly understood that Ukraine has far fewer Storm Shadows than HIMARS rockets. Analysts say Ukraine should be judicious about how and when to use the Storm Shadows. As a specialized piece of equipment, they’re not meant for mass bombardments like you might see with artillery. They are precision, surgical battlefield instruments. They go after high-value, time-sensitive targets. They can’t just use them to blast some random piece of Russian artillery behind the lines.
And it’s not just the number of missiles. Because it’s an air-launched missile, Ukraine also needs to take stock of its aircraft supply. The Ukrainian Air Force started the war with only about a hundred combat aircraft, and only a small portion of these are Su-24s capable of firing Storm Shadow.
The Storm Shadow is equipping Ukraine with a critical capability at an important time in its counter-offensive. But the effort is moving slowly. Most of the supplies are coming up through specific corridors. By attacking these corridors, they can slow down and complicate the delivery of munitions.
As a truck-launched rocket, the ATACMS offers more opportunities for use. It requires a lot less logistical train. You don’t have to support a fighter aircraft. You don’t need bases. It can be out in the field. Still, these long-range missiles in Ukraine come with parameters. When the UK Defense Secretary announced the country was supplying the Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine, he said that the weapons will allow Ukraine to push back Russian forces based within Ukraine’s sovereign territory, implying a long-standing red line among the West to avoid targets inside Russia.
But even with just the Storm Shadow, Ukraine has begun complicating the flow of supplies from Russia to the front lines. The Storm Shadow missile has had a significant impact on the battlefield. Its accuracy and its ability to deliver successfully the payload as sent and designed have been key. The international community must work together to ensure that if the Russians move out of range, the equipment is given to make sure they are back in range.
