Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG cruise missiles, made by MBDA, were initially unfit for use by Ukrainian aircraft but the manufacturer managed to adapt them in a fairly short time frame, the company's CEO, Éric Béranger, told in an interview to Challenges. It took only "a few weeks" to integrate the Western weapon into the Ukrainian Su-24M frontline bomber, he said.
"It would normally have taken years. We managed to do it very quickly because we had design authority, that is, the ability and legitimacy to make decisions and make technical choices."
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For example, both Storm Shadow and SCALP-EG (both names referring to the same missile) were attached to Ukrainian aircraft thanks to pylons from Tornado multirole combat aircraft used as "adapters." Defense Express suggests that this became possible specifically due to the fact that MBDA was free in its choice of technical solutions.
In fact, "a few weeks" is indeed a relatively short time, such rapid progress accelerated the beginning of supplies of these missiles to the Ukrainian Air Force. Officially announced as already delivered on May 12, 2023, this land attack cruise missile was used to launch multiple successful strikes, most notable for the annihilation of the russian Black Sea Fleet headquarters and the destruction of a submarine in a dry dock.
However, the total time from the start of work on Storm Shadow/Scalp is the real question here. For comparison, earlier MBDA Deutschland stated it needed six months to integrate a similar Taurus missile into the arsenal of the Ukrainian Su-24M. What's noteworthy is that the company estimates the technical part of the work would take two months, while the other four are necessary to teach Ukrainian pilots and technicians to handle the weapon. It would require even more, 1.5 years, to make Taurus compatible with F-16s, anticipated to arrive in Ukraine in spring 2024.
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