(missile whooshing)
(suspenseful music) (missile exploding) - [Narrator] This is the
Storm Shadow cruise missile, the weapon that's providing Ukraine with the strike range it needs for its counteroffensive. These highly precise weapons have a range of over 155 miles, three times that of the HIMARS in Ukraine. With that kind of range, these weapons are forcing
Moscow to rethink its logistics. Here's how these long-range
DeepStrike missiles work, and why the Storm Shadow is equipped to take out key Russian
command and control centers. - The reach of a Storm Shadow, it allows Ukraine to target all of this territory you see here. So if you look here at this
map of the front lines, that includes Crimea, places
like, you know, Berdyansk, where there's a lot of
command and control. - [Narrator] With a
miniaturized jet engine, lightweight materials, and
autonomous navigation systems, the Storm Shadow was able to travel far beyond the line of sight
of a launching aircraft to complete its mission. The missile's 155-mile range is what helped Ukraine hit this bridge, more than 100 miles from the front lines, which Russian troops have
relied on for supplies into the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. But the missile strength
is not just its range, its pre-programmed targeting
is also highly precise. - It is what we call a fire-and-forget. (missile exploding)
(suspenseful music) Once you pre-program
it, and you launch it, it doesn't require any updates or communication from the operator. - [Narrator] Compared
to unguided artillery or rockets that may target a
general area, like an air base, the target for a Storm
Shadow can be as precise as a specific hangar of that air base. This is possible because
the missile is equipped with three different types of navigation: INS, GPS, and terrain contour matching. The inertial navigation system is a collection of onboard motion sensors that tracks the orientation
and velocity of the missile, calculating its location
without satellites. But errors can creep into the
system with longer missions, so the Storm Shadow also
gets periodic GPS updates. - Obviously the most
accurate way to do it, would be if you just had the
missile hooked up to GPS, live streaming and
constantly getting updates. - [Narrator] But GPS can make the missile vulnerable
to counterattacks, so... - That's dangerous to do
in a combat environment, because you have electronic
warfare countermeasures. In some cases they can spoof a GPS signal, so make it and tell it, it's
somewhere where it's not. - [Narrator] The third type
is terrain contour matching. Using an altimeter to help
establish its location, the Storm Shadow measures changes in the elevation of the terrain below it, and compares it to its onboard database. All the while the missile is flying at terrain-hugging altitude, one of many features helping the Storm Shadow evade radar detection, making it difficult to shoot down. - When something is flying high, you can see it from a long way away. If something is flying very low, it becomes hard to see, because you don't have
a clear line of sight. - [Narrator] Experts say the Storm Shadow also appears to be outfitted with additional countermeasures that make it even harder to intercept, though the exact type
isn't publicly disclosed. - In general, missiles
countermeasures can include things like, infrared decoys,
right, flares, right, things that will divert an infrared-seeking interceptor missile. (missile whooshing) (missile exploding)
(suspenseful music) - [Narrator] Once the missile identifies and strikes its target, experts say the Storm Shadows impact is comparably more lethal
against hardened targets because of a feature
called delayed detonation. As the missile strikes its target, an initial smaller charge will detonate, pushing through walls or reinforcement. This will allow the main warhead to penetrate deep inside the target. Only then will that main warhead detonate. The delay is often
milliseconds difference, but even that small amount of time, allows for devastating effects. Think of it like this. - If you have a firecracker on your hand, and you light it, and it explodes, you know, you'll end up with
a nasty burn on your hand. If you close that firecracker around your fist, and it explodes, you'll probably lose your hand. - These capabilities, range,
precision, and lethal impact, have allowed Ukrainian forces to strike buildings across
occupied parts of Ukraine. One attack tied to the Storm Shadow was reportedly able to hit a hotel about 95 miles behind the front lines, killing a Russian general,
Lieutenant General Tsokov. This attack in June, marks the highest ranking
casualty among Russian forces. - So we can see the precision
of the weapon at work there, being able to hit the specific part of the building that you want to hit to even go after targets
as specific as individuals. - But the estimated cost of a Storm Shadow is more than $1 million per unit, one of the most expensive strike munitions that Ukraine currently possesses. All of these features require high-end, expensive technology. So in many ways... - It has more in common
with building an iPhone, than it does an artillery shell. - And that cost leads to one of the biggest
limitations Ukraine has with the Storm Shadow,
its number of units. Britain hasn't released the number of Storm Shadows sent. Before the war, defense intelligence companies estimated that the UK had roughly 822
Storm Shadows in its arsenal. Just one example of how shallow
the Storm Shadow supply is, during the 2011 Libya intervention that brought down Muammar Gaddafi. (crowd chanting) The UK and France ran out of
precision-guided munitions, including Storm Shadows. - Only a small fraction
of a already small pile is going to Ukraine. - It is broadly understood that Ukraine has far less Storm Shadows than HIMARS rockets. Analysts say Ukraine should be strategic about how and when to
use the Storm Shadows as a specialized piece of equipment. - They're not meant for mass bombardments, like you might see with artillery. They're precision-surgical
battlefield instruments. They go after high-value
targets, time-sensitive targets. They can't just use them to go blast some random piece of Russian
artillery behind the lines. - [Narrator] And it's not
just the number of missiles. Because it's an air-launched missile, Ukraine also needs to take
stock of its aircraft supply. - Ukrainian Air Force started the war with a little over a
hundred combat aircraft, and only a small portion of these are Su-24s, capable of
firing a Storm Shadow. (suspenseful music) - The Storm Shadow is equipping Ukraine with a critical capability
at an important time in its counteroffensive. But the effort is moving slowly. - Most of the supplies are
coming up through here. So by attacking the corridors that these supplies move through, they can slow down and complicate
the delivery of munitions. - [Narrator] William said that in order for this
strategy to be effective, Ukraine will need more long-range options. Currently, the UK and France are the only countries supplying Ukraine with these types of missiles, like the Storm Shadow and the nearly identical SCALP missile. Germany so far has rejected
a Ukrainian request for its Taurus cruise missiles, which has an even longer
range of nearly 300 miles. And the Biden administration
is still deliberating whether to send its equivalent weaponry, the Army Tactical
Missile System or ATACMS, with a range of some 190 miles. As a truck launched rocket, the ATACMS offers more
opportunities for use. - It requires a lot less
logistical training, you know, you don't have to
support a fighter aircraft, you don't need bases that
can be out in the field. - [Narrator] Still, these
long-range missiles in Ukraine come with parameters. When the UK defense secretary
announced the country was supplying the Storm
Shadow missiles to Ukraine, he said that the weapons
will allow Ukraine to push back Russian forces based within Ukraine sovereign territory, implying a longstanding red line among the West to avoid
targets inside Russia. But even with just the Storm Shadow, Ukraine has begun complicating
the flow of supplies from Russia to the front lines. - The Storm Shadow missile has had a significant impact on the battlefield, is my understanding, its accuracy and its ability
to deliver successfully the payload as sent and designed. I think the key here is to recognize that if the Russians move out of range, we must work together internationally to make sure that the equipment is given to make sure they're back in range. (suspenseful music)
