Franco-British SCALP Missile Debris Found in Pakistan

Pakistan has claimed it intercepted and recovered debris from a French-origin SCALP cruise missile allegedly launched by an Indian Air Force Rafale jet during heightened military tensions near the contested Jammu and Kashmir region on May 7, 2025.

In a statement issued by Pakistan’s military, the missile was detected and neutralized by air defense systems close to the Line of Control. The weapon was identified as a SCALP (Système de Croisière Autonome à Longue Portée) cruise missile — known in the United Kingdom as the Storm Shadow — which forms part of India's Rafale weapons package procured from France.

Images circulating on social media platform X show fragments of the missile’s turbojet engine, identified as the French Microturbo TRI 60-30, along with parts of the British-designed BROACH warhead. The BROACH (Bomb Royal Ordnance Augmented Charge) is known for its ability to penetrate fortified military installations such as bunkers and command posts.

Pakistan claimed that the missile may have been fired from one of several Indian jets reportedly involved in the incident. The SCALP can be fired from India's French origin jets- the Rafale and the Mirage-2000.

According to the Pakistanis, the SCALP missile was intercepted by their air defense system.

During a press briefing on Monday, Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, Director General of Military Operations (DGMO), stated, “Our precision strikes on terrorist targets were conducted without crossing the Line of Control or the international boundary.” The Indian MoD, in earlier briefings revealed the use of the SCALP missile to strike at terrorist targets inside Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir.

India purchased SCALP missiles as part of the Rafale jet deal and these are currently only integrated with its Rafale fighter fleet. Though compatible with other platforms like the Mirage 2000, the Indian Air Force has not fielded it beyond the Rafale jets.

Intercepting such missiles poses a technical challenge.

The SCALP/Storm Shadow cruise missile, jointly developed by France and the United Kingdom, has a range of up to 250 kilometers and is guided by a combination of inertial navigation, GPS, and terrain-matching systems. Flying at low altitudes with a small radar cross-section, the missile is designed to evade radar detection and reach deeply buried or well-defended targets.

SCALP’s interception can be done by both air-to-air missiles and ground-based air defense systems. Pakistan has stated that the SCALP was brought down by a ground based air defense system but has not identified the system used to bring down the French-made missile. Military analysts note that defeating low-flying cruise missiles like the SCALP depends heavily on early detection via airborne platforms like Erieye or ZDK-03 and the use of layered air defense systems.

Ukraine used the SCALP to successfully strike at targets in Crimea last year including warships and merchant ships. However, Russia improved tactics to counter cruise missiles and has reported intercepting SCALP/Storm Shadow missiles in recent months. On one occasion, Russia claimed it intercepted 12 SCALP-EG missiles in a single day. In February, Russian General Vasily Trushin claimed a 90% interception rate for such precision weapons, crediting advances in air defense and electronic warfare technologies. Russia has also reportedly studied captured missile fragments to better understand their guidance systems and stealth features.