The project, called Chrysalide, is fully funded by the French government through the Ukraine Aid Fund.
France will give Ukraine longer-range Scalp cruise missiles, but it will not eliminate its own strategic missile reserves. It was reported by Radio France Internationale (RFI).
“France discovered in its arsenals several batches of Scalp cruise missiles in a so-called cocoon. A cocoon is a waterproof package used to protect and store equipment for possible return to service,” the investigation said.
French experts decided to combine two types of reserves – on the one hand, they have old missiles that have exhausted their service life, but are not damaged. On the other hand, “cocoons containing missiles that are no longer usable because some number of parts or components have been removed to keep other Scalps in Air Force squadrons operational.”
Therefore, the French started a program to improve the old rockets called Chrysalide (The pupa is the first stage of transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly – ed.)
According to journalists, all these components must return to the MBDA factories in Bourges and undergo modernization according to an accelerated procedure.
“According to a source close to the matter, this is a very effective economic strategy, since the scalp in the cocoons still has to be thrown away,” the investigators said.
So they will be delivered to Ukraine at a price that is a quarter of the cost of a new rocket. The project is fully funded by the French government through the Ukraine Aid Fund. Most importantly, this scheme has no impact on the needs of the French armed forces.
There are also “export” versions of SCALP missiles, but these cannot be programmed using French computers. Missiles for Ukraine must be compatible with the training system provided by Paris to Kyiv.
In a press conference in January, French President Emmanuel Macron said that about 40 long-range SCALP missiles and several hundred bombs would be delivered to Ukraine in the coming weeks.
This is the second time that Paris has provided such weapons to Ukraine. The first batch was used mainly in the Black Sea. So, in September, as a result of a powerful missile attack, two ships in a dry dock in the port of Sevastopol were destroyed.
Scalp missiles were also used to destroy key logistics facilities supporting the Russian front.
The SCALP missile is a French version of the British Storm Shadow. This long-range weapon can hit targets at a distance of up to 500 km. The missiles move at a speed of more than 1000 km/h at a height of 30-40 meters. It can also penetrate several meters into concrete and detonate a 450-kilogram charge.
Earlier, the media reported that Italy had joined the supply of Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine. However, the Italian government has not yet officially announced the transfer of missiles of this type.
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Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.