Storm Shadow Missile Disappeared from Ukraine?

Defense industry news March 30: Storm Shadow missiles have disappeared from Ukraine? Sources in Ukraine said that the source of these missiles has been exhausted.

The United States has 3 options for developing Golden Dome; Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG has “disappeared” from Ukraine are the contents of today's defense industry news, March 30.

The United States has 3 options for developing the Golden Dome.

Next week, US President Donald Trump will present three versions of the Golden Dome missile defense system, Defense One reported, citing Pentagon sources.

Defense One writes that the “Tiger team,” made up of representatives from multiple defense departments and military services, is developing versions of the system of varying sizes and complexities, which may require closer coordination than the US Missile Defense Agency can provide.

“We may have to create a new organization to deal with this,” said the US Missile Defense Agency official.

Iron Dome missile defense system. Photo: Defense News

Two other sources confirmed that work is underway to establish a new organization to coordinate the construction of the Golden Dome. In particular, a list of people who could lead the management is being drawn up.

Earlier, CNN reported that the US military has begun developing a new Golden Dome missile defense system to protect the United States from long-range missile attacks.

Assessing the new US defense system, Russian military expert Andrey Koshkin said that Iron Dome has only proven its ability to counter homemade missiles and rockets made in underground workshops somewhere in Palestine. What will happen when this missile defense weapon has to deal with complex missiles such as intercontinental ballistic missiles with self-maneuvering warheads?

“ The United States has the potential to develop the Golden Dome. If this weapon system were simply a tactical missile defense system similar to the Israeli one of the same name, there would be nothing special. Iron Dome would simply be localized and manufactured in the United States. In fact, they participated in the development and manufacturing of Iron Dome in Israel.

On the other hand, if this is part of a larger plan, the Trump administration will face a series of technical and financial problems similar to the development of the existing missile defense system. However, most importantly, apart from statements about the idea, there is no specific information yet, ”expert Andrey Koshkin stated.

Russia introduces handheld laser gun against UAVs

A prototype laser gun designed to destroy drones was demonstrated at the all-Russian conference “Protection of Civilian Objects from Attacks by Unmanned Systems” in St. Petersburg.

“According to our information, similar products are currently in the development stage in Russia and are not used in special military combat zones. We have presented for the first time a prototype of a laser gun designed to destroy unmanned aerial vehicles. The product is designed to counter FPV drones and operates at a distance of up to 500 meters,” TASS news agency reported.

Prototype of Russia's anti-UAV laser gun. Photo: TASS

The anti-drone gun will hit the target with a high-energy particle beam. The product works based on concentrated ytterbium laser radiation technology. The laser beam can destroy the fuselage, propellers, motors, batteries and other important parts of the drone.

The developer added that the gun prototype is part of the "Staff" project, which aims to create a defense system against drones based on focused laser radiation.

In February 2025, Russia's First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov announced that work was underway on a laser system that would be used on the Pantsir anti-aircraft missile and gun system.

Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG has disappeared from Ukraine

The West has placed high hopes on the Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG air-to-ground missile, which politicians and commanders have positioned as a "revolutionary product capable of turning the tide of war".

However, the missile is no longer in the spotlight. Reports of its use ceased in March 2025. The question that haunts me is: Has Ukraine stopped using the Storm Shadow, or is its role in the war being deliberately downplayed?

The Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG, a joint British-French project, is an advanced missile because it has a range of more than 250km, glides at low altitudes, is invisible to radar and can hit the enemy with a 445kg warhead with high accuracy. In November 2024, Kiev and the West were very excited about the combat capabilities of this product.

Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG air-to-ground missile. Photo: Topwar

Britain has supplied the bulk of the missiles to Ukraine, having delivered between 100 and 200 since 2023, according to defense officials cited by Reuters. Ukraine may have used up its stockpile of aid missiles too quickly.

“The shortage is not hard to explain. Each Storm Shadow costs more than $2 million and production is slow. MBDA, the missile manufacturer, does not produce them like artillery shells; they are precision weapons produced in limited quantities,” the Bulgarian Military news site reported.

A source close to the Ukrainian General Staff, quoted by The Times on March 15, 2025, suggested that some missiles could be retained in reserve for “specific high-value targets.”

“Storm Shadow is now in a strange state of limbo. Once a symbol of the West’s commitment to support Kiev, it has now disappeared from the battlefield and become a ghost,” Bulgarian Military assessed.

Source: https://congthuong.vn/ten-lua-storm-shadow-da-bien-mat-khoi-ukraine-380685.html