In what is shaping up to be a new boost for the Ukrainian Air Force, France has announced that it will send a new batch of SCALP-EG cruise missiles to equip its Su-24 aircraft, a task that will soon also be shared by the Mirage 2000 fighter jets to be transferred by Paris. The news was confirmed by French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu during an interview with local media, in which he also mentioned the transfer of short-range Mistral air defense missiles, aimed at strengthening Kiev’s capabilities amid fears of increased Russian air attacks during the winter.
In his own words, when asked by Le Journal du Dimanche: “To allow Ukraine to carry out strikes behind the front line, I signed a new transfer of about ten SCALP-EG missiles in recent days (…) We will also resume supplying Mistral missiles, particularly to protect combat zones.”
It is useful to note at this point that the SCALP-EG cruise missiles stand out for their long effective range, between 250 and 400 kilometers, achieved thanks to their Microturbo TRI-60-30 engine, thus providing an important tool for Ukrainian forces to conduct strikes within Russian territory. The missile, currently manufactured by MBDA, features an explosive warhead weighing approximately 400 kilograms, contained within a length of 5.1 meters and a diameter of 630 mm. Each missile is equipped with inertial navigation systems, GPS, and automatic target recognition algorithms, significantly enhancing its accuracy.
Additionally, as previously mentioned, alongside the Storm Shadow missiles transferred by the United Kingdom, the SCALP-EG systems operate from modified Soviet-origin Su-24 Fencer aircraft specifically adapted for this purpose, a fact confirmed in May 2023 despite significant losses of Ukrainian aircraft. This is not surprising, considering similar adaptations had been made to the old MiG-29 Fulcrum fighters to enable them to use AGM-88 HARM anti-radiation missiles, or the case of the Su-25s modified to launch rockets from Zuni launchers.
Finally, it is worth noting that Minister Lecornu not only highlighted the shipment of this new batch of SCALP-EG missiles but also emphasized the need for his country to continue providing military support to Ukraine, even after active combat against Russian invading forces ceases: “because that is what will allow Ukrainian authorities to consider political solutions when they decide to do so.”
In this regard, it should be remembered that France has already contributed to the training of more than 2,000 Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel for deployment on the front lines, including future pilots for Ukraine’s Air Force through its Alphajet training aircraft. Among other recently supplied equipment, the delivery of over a hundred loitering munitions (commonly known as “kamikaze drones”) and funding for the purchase of a dozen CAESAR howitzers stands out, with the latter being particularly notable for utilizing Russian assets frozen by sanctions.
Images used for illustration purposes.
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