Ukraine Invasion - Please do not post videos showing attacks/similar

[XPE]

So apparently the storm shadow missiles have been handed over.

Ukraine gets British long-range missiles ahead of counteroffensive

British Defense Minister Ben Wallace described the move as a “calibrated, proportionate response to Russian’s escalation” in its invasion of Ukraine.

www.defensenews.com

"The donation of Storm Shadow missiles, many of which are already in Ukraine"

"Wallace said technical hurdles integrating the weapon onto Ukraine’s Soviet-era combat jets had been successfully overcome"

If this is to be believed they are ready or close to ready for use.

The word "donation" has been used a lot with it, which just sounded strange too me.

 

[Grim5]

Dunno what is behind it as I can't imagine Ukraine pushing into Russia, quite a few Russian sources claiming Ukraine is building up a large force on the border near Kharkiv...

I'm guessing Russian BS/propaganda to justify some course of action.

EDIT: Or someone has made something up again and it is getting perpetuated.

https://twitter.com/Osinttechnical/status/1656732038429327360

Ukrainians have improved storm shadow

https://twitter.com/x/status/1656616373559218179

 

[Grim5]

Ukraine gets British long-range missiles ahead of counteroffensive

British Defense Minister Ben Wallace described the move as a “calibrated, proportionate response to Russian’s escalation” in its invasion of Ukraine.

www.defensenews.com

"The donation of Storm Shadow missiles, many of which are already in Ukraine"

"Wallace said technical hurdles integrating the weapon onto Ukraine’s Soviet-era combat jets had been successfully overcome"

If this is to be believed they are ready or close to ready for use.

The word "donation" has been used a lot with it, which just sounded strange too me.

There were reports that in 2022 the UK and Poland were working on trying to get storm shadow working on an SU-24, perhaps it was successful


It will still likely have the same issues as HARM does - in that the missile can only be used in its pre programmed function because it cannot communicate with the plane nor take advantage of the sensors and radar and once it's launch they may not know if it hit anything

 

[Sankari]

It's gettin' weird over there.

Russian authorities will launch construction of a village outside Moscow for conservative-minded Americans and Canadians next year, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported Thursday.

Russia has for years positioned itself as a bastion of "traditional" values in contrast with Western liberalism as its relations with the West have deteriorated over its 2014 annexation of Crimea and 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Timur Beslangurov, a migration lawyer at Moscow’s VISTA Foreign Business Support, claimed that “around 200 families” wish to emigrate to Russia for “ideological reasons.”

“The reason is propaganda of radical values: Today they have 70 genders, and who knows what will come next,” RIA Novosti quoted Beslangurov as saying, echoing President Vladimir Putin’s frequently deployed grievances against Western countries’ comparative gender freedom.

“Many normal people emigrate and are considering Russia, but they’re faced with huge bureaucratic problems with Russia’s migration law,” he said.

He said the Moscow region administration has greenlit the construction of the expat village and that it will be financed by the relocating families.

 

[XPE]

It will still likely have the same issues as HARM does - in that the missile can only be used in its pre programmed function because it cannot communicate with the plane nor take advantage of the sensors and radar and once it's launch they may not know if it hit anything

Almost certainly, the coordinates will be program before launch and once released from the aircraft the missile is going to follow what ever is programmed into it come what may.

 

[Tuppy_Glossop]

There were reports that in 2022 the UK and Poland were working on trying to get storm shadow working on an SU-24, perhaps it was successful


It will still likely have the same issues as HARM does - in that the missile can only be used in its pre programmed function because it cannot communicate with the plane nor take advantage of the sensors and radar and once it's launch they may not know if it hit anything

Storm Shadow is fire and forget. It doesn't have any comms link once released, navigating by GPS and terrain mapping.

 

[mrgubby]

I think you'll find the MoD has long concluded that the loss of Stevenage can only result in a net benefit to the nation.

I live 5 miles Stevenage, I'm happy with the risk

 

[Rroff]

There were reports that in 2022 the UK and Poland were working on trying to get storm shadow working on an SU-24, perhaps it was successful


It will still likely have the same issues as HARM does - in that the missile can only be used in its pre programmed function because it cannot communicate with the plane nor take advantage of the sensors and radar and once it's launch they may not know if it hit anything

That is largely how Storm Shadow works mind - one way datalink (officially) once launched, can't retarget it and doesn't need the plane in the loop for BDA. Targets probably programmed before take-off.

 

[Tuppy_Glossop]

That is largely how Storm Shadow works mind - one way datalink (officially) once launched, can't retarget it and doesn't need the plane in the loop for BDA. Targets probably programmed before take-off.

I thought only the French ones have BDA one-way back link. Like you say, officially.

 

[Sankari]

I live 5 miles Stevenage, I'm happy with the risk

I've been to Stevenage, it's a nice little place with a lovely train station. Would be a shame to lose it.

 

[Rroff]

I thought only the French ones have BDA one-way back link. Like you say, officially.

I'm trying to generally cover a few points there as there are various different developments, but ultimately it doesn't matter if they can't/don't have the Ukrainian planes adapted for BDA.

 

[Mart2912]

Ukraine gets British long-range missiles ahead of counteroffensive

British Defense Minister Ben Wallace described the move as a “calibrated, proportionate response to Russian’s escalation” in its invasion of Ukraine.

www.defensenews.com

"The donation of Storm Shadow missiles, many of which are already in Ukraine"

"Wallace said technical hurdles integrating the weapon onto Ukraine’s Soviet-era combat jets had been successfully overcome"

If this is to be believed they are ready or close to ready for use.

The word "donation" has been used a lot with it, which just sounded strange too me.

They use the word donation to make sure everyone knows as Eurovision is just around the corner.

 

[Nelly]

I live 5 miles Stevenage, I'm happy with the risk

I've just put a direct hit at the Storm Shadow factory in Stevenage from a Kh-47 Kinzhal hypersonic missile carrying a 50kt payload, doesn't look good lol.

 

[Sankari]

I've just put a direct hit at the Storm Shadow factory in Stevenage from a Kh-47 Kinzhal hypersonic missile carrying a 50kt payload, doesn't look good lol.

That seems likely to affect real estate values in the local area.

 

[Scougar]

Range of hypersonic missile though?

 

[Scougar]

That seems likely to affect real estate values in the local area.

Might improve values?

 

[ubersonic]

I've just put a direct hit at the Storm Shadow factory in Stevenage from a Kh-47 Kinzhal hypersonic missile carrying a 50kt payload, doesn't look good lol.

Obvious ridiculousness of the idea of Russia nuking the Storm Shadow factory aside, I may be wrong but I don't think they can actually do that.

The Tu-95 can't fire them so there would be no chance of a sneak attack. A MiG-31 with an underslung Kinzhal doesn't have the range to get anywhere even remotely near, and if a Tu-22M with underslung Kinzhals took off and headed for the UK it would be picked up and either escorted the **** away or blown the hell up long before it got in firing range.

 

[Roar87]

I've just put a direct hit at the Storm Shadow factory in Stevenage from a Kh-47 Kinzhal hypersonic missile carrying a 50kt payload, doesn't look good lol.

Hopefully they increase the yield and take out Luton

 

[Grim5]

Range of hypersonic missile though?

Very difficult to tell with Russian weapons what their range is

In the west we calculate range as the distance it can travel under its own propulsion from the time it leaves the launch vehicle. In Russia they don't do this - the range numbers in all their documentation is equal to: range of the launch vehicle + range of the missile under its own propulsion

So the range the Russians claim their kh-47 has is 2000km. The problem is that this number includes the flight range of the Mig-31 that carries the missile and the range of the mig31 varies wildly based on various factors like Doesnit have external fuel tanks, what is the weight of the missile etc

And then you still have to make adjustments because the Russians over estimate their capabilities


When you add all of this up, it's super unlikely that they could drop a kh-47 on the UK - the mig-31 would have to be launched from an aircraft carrier in the Atlantic, Mediterranean or North Sea or be launched from Russia, fly around the North Pole and get refuelled in air twice (can it refuel?)


If I had to take a guess after all this data, I would suggest the kh-47 probably has an actual range of about 500km and if your target is more than 500km from Russia's border you'll have to fly there

 

[ianh]

Storm Shadow is fire and forget. It doesn't have any comms link once released, navigating by GPS and terrain mapping.

Just to clarify - Thats a slighly misleading bit of info but its understandable as the media has been saying it a lot as thats based on some bad info within the Wiki article with the 'evidence' linked to an RAF weapons PDF which doesn't exist anymore. In reality it's a simple misunderstanding based around what most people may know from the Tomahawk Missile, where a sensor within the missile (usually radar) is used to create a 3D "map" of the terrain infront the missile and then compare the map to a database within the missiles computer.

However Stormshadow doesn't actually actively "map" anything and it does something different instead, using a passive system which can't be detected/jammed etc. Basically the missile's route is pre-planned with a series of waypoints which are compared to the IN/GPS location being reported by the missile during flight, so the missile knows where it is and where its going. Then it uses a built-in rad-alt to detect its own height directly above the terrain (combined with GPS height) which it then compares to a terrain height database stored within the Missiles Main Computer (this software is called TERPROM) so now it knows where it is, how high it is and finally how high the terrain is around it and it's done all of this passively without being detected, unlike a Tomahawk with its radar system.

This same type of system is now used by most 4th Gen western military aircraft under the name GPWS or Ground Proximity Warning System to prevent aircraft flying too low and crashing into terrain.

The last time I played with Stormshadow was during the 2011 Libya campaign where I ended up on temporary loan to 13 Sqn down at Marham* doing Stormshadow functional checks before the pilots arrived to fly their missions, one of whom is currently my boss in another "its a small world" coincidence now neither of us is still in the military any more.

*I was on 617 Sqn up in Lossiemouth but they were in Afghan at the time and I couldn't go as I had just finished rehab for a knackered knee.