Emmanuel Macron’s announcement from the NATO summit in Vilnius (Lithuania) to deliver Scalp missiles to Ukraine caused a stir. We know a little more about this weapon designed to provide Kiev with the means to effectively carry out a counteroffensive against the Russian troops installed in its territory.
First, it is not a promise to be kept in the future. On BFMTV, a military source said Tuesday that Scalps has already arrived in Ukraine.
How much does France plan to deliver? The answer remains secret. “It is a strategic report that could interest the Russians,” Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu responded during an interview on LCI.
use restrictions
Another important detail, the models provided to the Ukrainian army are not those used by France whose range is 500 kilometers. This is the version with a range of 250 kilometers, explained Sébastien Lecornu.
If the distance is less, it allows deep attacks on the areas located to the East of the country now controlled by the Russians.
“It is essential that the Ukrainian forces disrupt logistics and Russian command and control,” Ivan Klyszcz, a researcher at the International Center for Defense and Security (ICDS) in Estonia, told AFP.
This defensive use is in France’s doctrine on military aid to Ukraine, which excludes any use to attack Russia on its territory.
On what planes?
Finally there is the way in which the scalp will be used. “They will be shot systematically from an airplane,” confirms the minister. Like the British Storm Shadows, they were designed for Western fighter aircraft.
But, pending the F-16s, Ukraine has already started using those sent by the UK. For this, kyiv would have modified a Su-24MR “Yellow 60” of the 7th Tactical Aviation Brigade.
Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov posted a photo showing this reconnaissance plane armed with a Storm Shadow. The image even bears a handwritten message from British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace: “To all the brave who risk everything for the glory of Ukraine.”
Source: BFM TV
