There is perhaps an explanation for the sudden about-turn will post it in a mo.
From ‘The Analyst’ (Military & Strategic) X: MilStratOnX
STORM SHADOW - FLIP FLOP OR SOMETHING ELSE?
As I catch up from two weeks away, the one thing the new British Labour government announced that seemed both suitably hawkish and a ‘good thing’ - was the announcement that Storm Shadow missiles can be used inside Russia proper.
It made headlines and must have been a welcome surprise for Ukraine.
As usual the Russians freaked out about it and replayed their badly FX’d
destruction of Britain by nukes video.
Then relatively quietly the permission so publicly granted, was quietly withdrawn.
There was no explanation. It seems the new Labour government was unaware until later, that the French Government has to agree as well to the use of the missile in such circumstances and it hasn’t yet done so. (The same would happen if the French wanted to give permission, they would have to ask the UK). The permission is in the purview of the French MoD, and post election, only a caretaker government is in place and is unwilling to make those decisions. It could be weeks before there’s a new government.
Some suspected that the White House may have frowned upon the idea - and it might but it’s unlikely to have forced the issue at this stage.
If the UK government wanted to give permission then it’s unlikely to have backed off so quickly without a legal reason.
There is of course the other issue. And this will have quietly raised alarms in the MoD’s of Storm Shadow /SCALP-EG users. The Russians captured a near intact missile in the last three weeks.
Either it failed or was knocked off course by a near miss. Either way the video clearly showed the inspection of the guidance system, counter measures and warhead systems.
These things get found out all the time, there’s a litany of weapons systems that have become useless in this war.
The much awaited GLSDB failed miserably and just wasn’t up to facing Russian EW.
The much vaunted Excalibur guided 155mm shell has become so hopelessly bad after months of success, that the Ukrainians have stopped using it because of Russian EW - it just won’t hit a target anymore.
Nobody wants to see Storm Shadow go the same way.
It’s entirely probable that new missiles and older ones will need new
counter measures if they are even to be used again. There’s no point in wasting them just to see them fail.
JDAM’s munitions are an example of what had been stopped from being effective and now has been returned to service with considerable effect. MLRS/HIMARS missiles have been updated and improved.
War has the ability to prove reality is not what we always wanted.
The west relies on technical superiority and technology to outperform Russian military capabilities.
What was good yesterday might not be so good today or tomorrow. It’s what you do about it and the speed you do it that makes the difference. It’s not a lesson easily learned.
Enduring war requires enduring technological change and outpacing your enemies. China is watching, Russia is learning to counteract our systems - we have to keep the edge.
Nothing we built was designed for a war this long. It’s just another aspect of fighting it that has come home to roost. Learn from it.
Slava Ukraini!
From ‘The Analyst’ X: MilStratOnX
