European missile consortium MBDA has unveiled a new version of the cruise missile designed to replace the Storm Shadow/SCALP. Along with this, the company also rebranded both the missile and the entire project for two new long-range strike weapons that has been underway since 2017.
That year marked the launch of the Future Cruise/Anti-Ship Weapon (FC/ASW) program, aimed at developing two missiles: a supersonic anti-ship missile and a subsonic cruise missile. By 2022, the designs were formalized as RJ10 and TP15, with the numbers reflecting version designations.
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By the summer of 2025, the project was advanced enough that MBDA showcased full-scale models at the Paris Air Show and announced flight trials were planned for 2026.
MBDA has not explained the reasons behind the redesign of the cruise missile, but noted that the changes will not negatively affect development timelines.
However, at the ongoing DSEI exhibition in London, MBDA presented a new variant of the cruise missile and announced a renaming of the program. The FC/ASW has now been rebranded as Stratus, with the missiles renamed accordingly: the supersonic RJ10 is now Stratus RS (Rapid Strike), and the cruise TP15 is now Stratus LO (Low Observable).
The differences between TP15 and Stratus LO are significant, suggesting that part of the previous work was simply scrapped. The fuselage has been completely redesigned previously a flat body likely intended to generate lift, it is now a more conventional rectangular fuselage resembling Storm Shadow/SCALP and Taurus.
Instead of thin, foldable wings mounted on top of the fuselage, the Stratus LO features larger wings with extended surface area, possibly folding downward. The missile also now has more developed tail fins, again recalling the designs of Storm Shadow/SCALP and Taurus.
In other words, the current Stratus LO appears to be a step backward in terms of aerodynamics and stealth solutions. The comparison with Storm Shadow/SCALP is striking — the Stratus LO seems closer to existing legacy systems than to a next-generation design.
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