RAF
Storm Shadow Missiles Used Against Daesh
Tornados from RAF Akrotiri have used the powerful Storm Shadow cruise missiles against Daesh in Iraq for the first time.
They were fired on Sunday after intelligence determined the militants were using a large concrete bunker in the west of the country as a weapons facility.
It was decided the four missiles should be used against the Saddam-era structure, all of them scored direct hits.
The Storm Shadow is a long-range, stand-off, air-launched missile manufactured by the European developer, MBDA.
It’s a "fire and forget" missile meaning it is programmed before launch and, once fired, cannot be controlled, have its target information changed or be self-destructed.
Equipped with a UK-developed conventional warhead, it flies at a low level using terrain profile matching and an integrated Global Positioning System.
Storm Shadow Specifications
Length: 5.1m
Span: 3m
Weight: 1,300kg
Range: 500km (approx.)
Speed: Mach 0.8
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