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tomorrowusa · 1 year

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Now you know why Russians were so intent on looting toilets from Ukraine. But given the mentality of the looters, they may have expected the toilets to work without being hooked up to plumbing.

Outside the large cities the poverty rate in Russia is high. That’s why we saw Russian invaders in Ukraine looting stuff like used underwear.

If Ukraine really wants to hit Russia where it hurts, they can use the Storm Shadow cruise missiles they’re getting from the UK to take out sewage treatment plants in Russian cities. 💩

UK confirms supply of Storm Shadow long-range missiles in Ukraine

The Storm Shadow cruise missile has a range of over 250km (155 miles), according to the manufacturer.

By contrast, the US-supplied Himars missiles used by Ukraine only have a range of around 80 km (50 miles).

The weapons will give Ukraine the "best chance" of defending itself, UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said.

They are fired from aircraft, so the longer range means Ukrainian pilots will be able to stay further from the frontlines.

Once launched, the Storm Shadow drops to low altitude to avoid detection by enemy radar, before latching onto its target with an infra-red seeker.

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usafphantom2 · 1 year

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United Kingdom sends 'Storm Shadow' cruise missiles to Ukraine

Polish MiG-29 fighters donated to Ukraine should be responsible for the use of British cruise missiles.

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 05/12/23 - 08:49 in Armaments, Military, War Zones

The Ukrainian armed forces obtained a new long-range attack capability with the supply of multiple Storm Shadow cruise missiles by the United Kingdom. And the MiG-29 donated by Poland will play an important role in this.

The missiles are being deployed in light of Ukraine's plans to mount a counteroffensive with the aim of recovering areas controlled by the Kremlin in the eastern and southern parts of the country.

MBDA's Storm Shadow long-range cruise missile.

CNN was the first to report the delivery of the missiles by the United Kingdom, citing senior Western officials. The reach of Storm Shadow allows it to reach Russian-controlled areas in eastern Ukraine, with guarantees from Ukraine that the missiles will be used only within its sovereign territory.

In an oral statement to Parliament on Thursday, British Secretary of Defense Ben Wallace confirmed the delivery of the missiles.

“Today, I can confirm that the United Kingdom donated Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine. Storm Shadow is a conventional long-range precision attack capability. It complements the already equipped long-range systems, including HIMARS and Harpoon missiles, as well as Ukraine's own Neptune cruise missiles and already equipped long-range ammunition,” Wallace said.

“The donation of these weapons systems gives Ukraine the best chance to defend itself against Russia's continued brutality. Especially, the deliberate attack on Ukrainian civil infrastructure, which is against international law. Ukraine has the right to defend itself against it. The use of Storm Shadow will allow Ukraine to repel Russian forces based on Ukrainian sovereign territory."

During the first months of this year, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak indicated that the possibility of sending long-range weapons was being considered by Britain.

The UK government issued a notice of acquisition through the International Fund for Ukraine, inviting expressions of interest for the purchase of "long-range attack" rockets or missiles. The warning specified a range of 100 to 300 km and a load capacity of 20 to 490 kg, with possible suppliers to be contacted after one month.

“The United Kingdom previously said it will provide Ukraine with long-range weapons, which will now include several Storm Shadow missiles. The British government has made it clear that this is only a response to Russia's deliberate attack on national civilian infrastructure and is a proportional response,” a Western official told CNN.

In an interview with European public service broadcasters published on Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed confidence in Ukraine's existing resources, stating: 'With what we have, we can move forward and succeed. But we would lose a lot of people. I find that unacceptable.'

However, he emphasized the need for patience, pointing to the fact that Ukraine is still receiving or waiting for the delivery of more armored vehicles, including tanks.

Although the U.S. promised continued support to Ukraine, Ukrainian requests for long-range missiles such as ATACMS were not met. U.S. officials stated that the current conflict in Ukraine does not justify the use of ATACMS to achieve relevant objectives, CNN reports.

The Storm Shadow cruise missile, a joint development product between France and the United Kingdom, has stealth features and is usually deployed through airdrop. Although it has a shooting range of more than 250 km (155 miles), it falls short of the 185-mile range capacity of the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), which Ukraine has long been looking for.

MBDA Missile Systems, the European manufacturer of the Storm Shadow missile, describes it as a long-range deep attack weapon (about 250 km), conventionally armed, launched from the air, capable of operating in any climate.

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The Storm Shadow / SCALP, with a unit value of about $5 million, was put into operation with the Royal Air Force and the French Air Force in 2003 and is now in service with three other nations.

The CNN report did not provide details on which platforms Ukraine would use to employ the missiles. But about 14 MiG-29s fighters being delivered by Poland to Ukraine have been upgraded to carry NATO weapons, including the 'Storm Shadow' cruise missile donated by the United Kingdom.

While with the Polish air force, the MiG-29s were upgraded to 'NATO standards', which included new aviônicos, radar, navigation and communication, as well as a new complex on board with a HUD display, according to the Polish media in 2020.

The upgrade program, allegedly carried out by the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), allowed Polish MiGs to use NATO weapons, including the AGM-88 HARM high-speed anti-radar missiles, AIM-9 short-range infrared air-to-air missiles, as well as AIM-120 medium-range air-to-air missiles with a target engagement range of up to 70 km.

MiG-29 of the Ukrainian Air Force.

In addition, updated Polish MiG-29 fighters can use North American JDAM and JDAM-ER bombs.

Tags: armamentsMilitary AviationMBDAMiG-29 FulcrumStorm ShadowWar Zones - Russia/Ukraine

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Daytona Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. Uses Canon equipment during his photographic work around the world of aviation.