SCALP Missile, Features, Range, Warhead, Design, Capabilities

The SCALP EG, also known as Storm Shadow in the UK, is a long-range, air launched cruise missile developed together by France and the United Kingdom. The missile was designed by Matra and British Aerospace in the 1990s and is now manufactured by MBDA. The missile has been used in many conflicts like Iraq, Libya, Ukraine and Syria. 

The SCALP Missile has been designed to strike high-value, well defined targets like bunkers, airbases and command centres. It includes a combination of GPS, inertial navigation, terrain-following radar and infrared imaging for precise guidance. The missile carries a 450 kg BROACH warhead capable of penetrating hardened structures. It travels at subsonic speeds and maintains a low altitude to evade enemy radar.

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SCALP Missile Features

The SCALP Missile, is a Franco-British long range, air launched cruise missile designed in the 1990s for precision strikes against high-value, stationary targets like command centres, airfields and infrastructure. The features include: 

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• Range: Generally exceeds 250 km; certain variants can reach up to 500 km, subject to launch conditions.
• Warhead: Fitted with a 450 kg BROACH tandem-charge warhead, designed to penetrate fortified structures before detonation.
• Guidance System: Employs inertial navigation, GPS, terrain-following radar, and an infrared terminal seeker to ensure high precision and reduced detectability.
• Stealth Capabilities: Engineered with a low radar cross-section and advanced guidance for enhanced evasion of air defense systems.
• Platform Compatibility: Deployed from multiple aircraft platforms, including the Eurofighter Typhoon, Dassault Rafale, and Mirage 2000.

SCALP Missile Guidance and Targeting System 

The SCALP Missile uses the following guidance and targeting system:

1. Guidance System
   The Storm Shadow/SCALP missile incorporates a layered and advanced guidance mechanism for precision targeting:

• Inertial Navigation System (INS): Utilizes onboard sensors to monitor position and trajectory throughout the flight.

• Global Positioning System (GPS): Provides real-time satellite-based corrections to maintain course accuracy.

• Terrain Reference Navigation: Employs radar altimetry to compare terrain contours with pre-stored digital maps, enabling low-altitude flight that evades radar and remains accurate even if GPS is disrupted.

2. Targeting and Midcourse Phase

• Pre-Launch Programming: Mission parameters, including target coordinates and flight profile, are loaded into the missile prior to launch. Once deployed, it operates autonomously as a “fire and forget” weapon.

• Low-Altitude Penetration: The missile maintains terrain-hugging flight post-launch to minimize detectability and increase survivability.

3. Terminal Phase and Impact

• Final Maneuver: Nearing the target, the missile ascends briefly to gain a clearer visual scope and discards its nose cone.

• Imaging Infrared (IIR) Seeker: Activates to identify the target through stored visual profiles. This ensures accurate target recognition while preventing unintended strikes.

• Abort Protocol: If the intended target cannot be confirmed, the missile is programmed to divert and neutralize itself at a designated crash point.

• Precision Strike: Upon confirmation, the missile initiates a terminal dive, deploying its BROACH warhead for optimal penetration and destruction of the target.

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Countries that Use the Storm Shadow Missile

The SCALP Missile is used by following countries: 

• United Kingdom: UK is the developer of the SCALP Missile and used by the Royal Air Force in 2003. 
• France: The missile is used by the name SCALP EG, since 2003. 
• Ukraine: Received Storm Shadow from the UK and SCALP EG from France. 
• India: India received the french variant of SCALP Missiles in May 2025.

SCALP Missile Design

The Storm Shadow / SCALP EG is a long-range, air-launched cruise missile designed for precision strikes against a wide spectrum of high-value targets. These include enemy air defense systems, command and control facilities, fortified military installations, and underground bunkers.

• Airframe: Constructed with composite materials, featuring a cylindrical fuselage for reduced radar signature.
• Wings and Tail Assembly: Mid-mounted wings ensure aerodynamic lift and maneuverability, while the tail unit offers in-flight stability.
• Propulsion: Powered by a combination of a turbojet engine and a direct-flow jet engine, enabling sustained high-subsonic cruise.
• Guidance and Navigation: Equipped with an integrated navigation suite comprising GPS, an inertial navigation system, TERPROM (Terrain Profile Matching), and a terminal-phase infrared homing seeker (DSMAC) for precise target acquisition.
• Warhead: Houses the BROACH tandem-charge warhead, capable of conventional deep penetration, with optional configurations depending on the mission profile.