Russia Seizes Near-Intact UK Storm Shadow Missile
From Battlefield To Science Lab
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July 10, 2023
On the contentious frontlines of international conflict, Russia's Tsar’s Wolves and the BARS-11 volunteer unit have reportedly acquired a remarkable piece of military hardware: a near-intact British Storm Shadow cruise missile.
Dmitry Rogozin, head of the Tsar’s Wolves military and technical center, announced the surprising find to Sputnik.
This acquisition, made possible due to the diligent efforts of Russian servicemen, comes in the wake of Ukraine’s announcement on May 11 confirming the receipt of the first batch of these highly-anticipated, British-made cruise missiles. Designed to obliterate bunkers and other hard-to-reach targets, the Storm Shadow is a formidable weapon.
Given the missile's near-pristine condition, it was promptly dismantled and transported for further examination, providing Russian specialists with an in-depth look at this state-of-the-art armament.
"Our air defense will shoot this thing down, and it will gradually become useless,” Rogozin confidently stated, as quoted by media reports.
The implications of this $3 million acquisition are significant. Russian military experts suggest that although the Storm Shadow may not influence Russia's next-gen missile development, it could provide crucial insights into perfecting their defense strategies.
According to veteran Russian military expert and retired Army Captain Vladislav Shurygin, this find allows Russia an intimate understanding of the Storm Shadow’s potential vulnerabilities. "Now it will become clear what weapons can affect them, what electronic warfare means can affect them, which ones don’t, which frequencies they can be jammed at, which ones not," Shurygin explained, as he was quoted by media reports.
Dmitry Kornev, the founder of the Military Russia portal, points out that Russian rocket scientists have already designed advanced missile technologies and may not gain significant technical knowledge from the captured Storm Shadow. However, the opportunity to study a real-world example of this advanced missile is invaluable.
There's speculation that the intact missile may have simply malfunctioned, potentially due to a faulty radio altimeter. Regardless of how it came to land in Russian hands, the missile's unique design and capabilities make it a priceless piece of military intelligence.
The Storm Shadow, with a range of up to 250 km for its export version and up to 560 km for its domestic variant, has been extensively deployed by the UK in multiple international conflicts, from the 2003 invasion of Iraq to the bombing of Libya in 2011, and against Syria in 2018.
Ukraine has employed these missiles against civilian infrastructure in the Donbas, and the Chongar Bridge connecting Crimea to Kherson. The Storm Shadow is a deadly weapon, designed to penetrate heavy fortifications, decimate industrial facilities, destroy columns of vehicles and troops, and even neutralize enemy vessels in its anti-ship variant.
The near-intact seizure of such a weapon from the battlefield may enable Russia to devise improved defense strategies. This 'found' missile provides Russia a unique window into the Storm Shadow's capabilities, potentially influencing the balance of power in this complex international scenario.