France, UK to relaunch SCALP/Storm Shadow production

The Storm Shadow/SCALP cruise missile was showcased at the Paris Air Show 2025. The United Kingdom and France are to resume production to replenish their diminishing stocks. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)

France and the United Kingdom are to relaunch production of their respective MBDA SCALP (Système de Croisière Autonome à Longue Portée) and Storm Shadow long-range cruise missiles, the two governments announced on 9 July.

A new ‘Entente Industrielle' agreed during the state visit to the UK of French President Emmanuel Macron will see both countries resume SCALP/Storm Shadow production, at the same time as co-operating on a replacement missile.

“Britain and France are to order more highly lethal Storm Shadow [and SCALP] cruise missiles, while stepping up work on its replacement as part of a new refreshed agreement signed today [Thursday, 10 July],” the UK government said, adding, “The new agreement will see the UK and France commit to launch the next phase of their joint project for both deep strike and anti-ship missiles – a step closer to selecting a final design for Storm Shadow's [and SCALP's] replacement.”

In its latest upgraded guise, the SCALP is known as the SCALP Emploi Général (EG) while the Storm Shadow is known as the Storm Shadow Mid-Life Refurbishment (MLR).

As noted by Janes Weapons: Air Launched, the baseline SCALP and Storm Shadow are air-launched conventionally armed, stand-off land-attack cruise missiles that share a common design. The turbojet-powered missiles fly at Mach 0.8–0.95, and feature a ‘stealthy' design to reduce their radar cross-section while using pre‐planned mission data to ingress to the target at a very low altitude using continuously updated inertial navigation. Terminal guidance is provided by imaging infrared, with a very-high-speed dive attack profile and high terminal accuracy.