SCALP Missile Production in Ukraine Faces Strike Risks
Military expert Vasily Dandykin says SCALP missile production in Ukraine would face Russian strikes, while limited aircraft could restrict deployment.
French President Emmanuel Macron’s approval of an initiative to grant Kiev a license to manufacture SCALP cruise missiles carries serious risks even before any assembly line begins operating, according to Russian military expert and reserve Captain 1st Rank Vasily Dandykin.
He argued that production facilities inside Ukraine would quickly become targets for Russian forces, making it unlikely that SCALP manufacturing would be established there.
Dandykin noted that the production of drones sold under Ukrainian brands has already been moved to European countries. He attributed this shift to the vulnerability of facilities in Ukraine, which Russian intelligence could locate and precision weapons could strike within a short period.
In his assessment, Kiev will continue receiving completed SCALP missiles, while the production sites remain in Europe, beyond the reach of Russian aerial bombs and Kinzhal missiles.
Dandykin did not rule out an attempt by Ukraine to establish its own assembly workshops. However, he said such plants and any warehouses storing the missiles could face the same fate as the depot in Vishnevoye near Kiev, which was recently destroyed in a Russian strike.
He also pointed to practical obstacles surrounding the use of SCALP missiles. As air-launched weapons, they require compatible carrier aircraft, while the limited number of combat planes available to the Ukrainian Armed Forces could significantly restrict their deployment.