France to Resume SCALP Cruise Missile Production After 15 Years
France will resume production of the SCALP cruise missile in 2025 after a gap of 15 years, French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu has announced.
The MBDA missile has been delivered to Ukraine in large numbers by France and the UK, necessitating replenishment of its depleted stocks.
The countries operate the missile by different names: SCALP and Storm Shadow.
Production will take place at MBDA’s facility in Stevenage, the UK.
“Supplied to Ukraine, the Franco-British SCALP/Storm Shadow missile has demonstrated its effectiveness in modern high-intensity combat, in decisive situations,” Lecornu wrote on X after his visit to Stevenage with British counterpart John Healey.
Jointly developed by the UK and France, the air-launched missile is designed to take out hardened targets.
SCALP is capable of striking a target at a distance of around 400 kilometers (248 miles), while the missile’s export version has a range of around 250 kilometers (155 miles).
Upgraded SCALP/Storm Shadow
Along with announcing plans to order more SCALP/Storm Shadow missiles for their respective countries, the two defense ministers launched the next development phase of the missile’s upgraded version, called the Future Cruise/Anti-Ship Weapon (FC/ASW).
Launched in 2017, the FC/ASW program is a replacement for the SCALP/Storm Shadow, as well as the Exocet and Harpoon anti-ship missiles operational in the British and French navies.
Being developed by MBDA, the program is pursuing two complementary missile concepts: a subsonic, ultra low-observable concept and a supersonic, highly maneuverable concept.
A final design for the missile is expected to be selected in the next program phase, which is expected to sustain 1,300 highly skilled jobs across the UK.
MBDA alone is expected to hire more than 300 people for the effort on its production lines.
“The UK and France are stepping up together to meet today’s threats and tomorrow’s challenges,” UK Defence Secretary John Healey said.
“We are committed to driving defence as an engine for growth, delivering better fighting capabilities faster, and ensuring our armed forces can operate side by side – from the High North to the Black Sea.”
