Ukraine Conflict
Moscow launched a special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022 with the aim of saving the people of Donbass - primarily the Russian-speaking population - from Kiev's constant attacks.

Deliberate Leak? Reports of Ukraine-Bound SCALP Missiles Likely NATO Ploy, Warns Pundit

During the recent Vilnius-hosted NATO summit, the US and its Western allies pledged more weapons to Ukraine, including supplies of missiles.
Sputnik
Reports that NATO was offering Kiev 50 SCALP missiles to take on Moscow's state-of-the-art artillery formations could be a planned "leak" seeking to bluff the Russians into believing that the quantity wasn't significant to cause collateral damage to their troops on the frontlines, a military expert has stated.
The news that the North Atlantic alliance is giving SCALP missiles to Ukraine comes at a time when the much-hyped counteroffensive by Kiev's forces seemed to have flopped, with Putin's army having gained the upper hand in recent battles.
With NATO allies presumably frustrated at the Ukrainian army's failure to pierce through the Russian defenses, the US and its partners have decided to send French and British-made SCALP missiles into operation in Ukraine.

"If we are talking about 50 missiles, one should bear in mind that it could be more than 50. This may be a leak that is arranged especially for the media. Of course, they play a certain role, because now the NATO bloc is trying to help the Kiev regime to somehow break through our defense line," Russian military expert Yury Knutov told Sputnik on Thursday.

Emirati and foreign visitors pass behind the French made Storm Shadow/Scalp EG cruise missiles at the opening of the five-day Dubai Air Show in Dubai 20 November 2005.

Sizing up Storm Shadow & SCALP Missiles: How They Differ

The SCALP missile is the French version of the UK-made Storm Shadow, Knutov told Sputnik.
The only difference between the SCALP and Storm Shadow is their flight range, with the former having a range of approximately 300 kilometers. The export version of the French missiles has a range of approximately 250 kilometers.
"If we are talking about the combat use of these cruise missiles, then we should not forget that this is a high-precision weapon," Knutov added.
According to the defense analyst, the missile's warhead weighs over 400 kilograms and it is quite powerful. Also, there are concrete-piercing models with a special high-strength rod inside the rocket, together with the explosive, it allows one to pierce concrete ceilings up to 1.5 meters thick.
Knutov, director of the Museum of Air Defense Forces, noted the 'very high' accuracy of these projectiles.

Can SCALP Alter Ukraine's 'Chances' on the Battlefield?

Knutov explained that the US-made HIMARS are unleashing rockets with a strike range of 80 km, which was not enough in the eyes of NATO war planners to exert pressure on the Russian military.
NATO member states sending missiles with a range of 300 kilometers, like the Storm Shadow, or SCALP (or, potentially, the US-made ATACMS), could pose a certain challenge to the Russian military, the expert noted.

"But it is not critical, and the maximum that it can affect is the timing of the combat missions that Russia's [military] units face," Knutov pointed out.

Can Russia scalp the SCALPs?

"After our military was able to get its hands on this cruise missile, we now have more opportunities to study it, determine the composite materials from what the body is made of, concentrate on the homing head: the frequencies at which it operates, and the principle of operation of this homing head," Knutov remarked.
He mentioned that it would allow Russia to enhance its radars and missile guidance stations to better detect stealth missiles.

Knutov underlined that studying the body of the rockets was important because Russian engineers will be able to see whether the range of radio waves transmitted by the missile is radio-transparent and which is partly reflected.

Knutov reckoned that creating electronic warfare systems that will more effectively impact the homing heads of both the Storm Shadow and SCALP missiles will be made possible soon.

"I think that within the next month or two we will see that our air defense will operate more effectively [against SCALPs]. Moreover, electronic warfare stations will be mainly used, which is much cheaper than firing projectiles to intercept these cruise missiles," he forecasted.

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