British Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced on Monday that the United Kingdom will share classified technical information with Ukraine to assist the country in manufacturing its own long-range missiles. The agreement involves defense firm MBDA releasing details regarding British-made components for the SCALP missile, which will allow Ukraine to assemble the weapons domestically. Burnham made the announcement in Kyiv while attending events for Ukraine's Independence Day alongside other international leaders.
The SCALP missile is a high-precision, air-launched weapon with a range exceeding 250 kilometers (155 miles). It is the French version of the British Storm Shadow missile, and both weapons utilize shared technology from the two nations. Measuring 5.1 meters (16.7 feet) in length, the missile is designed to strike stationary targets such as infrastructure and hardened bunkers. These missiles are currently utilized by the air forces of Britain, France, and Italy.
Ukraine is already coordinating with France to establish domestic assembly lines for these missiles. However, Douglas Barrie of the International Institute for Strategic Studies and Arun Dawson of King’s College London stated that the move is unlikely to provide operational missiles in the immediate future. Dawson noted that the technology transfer would likely not have an impact until next year at the earliest and does not address Ukraine's current need for defense against ballistic missile attacks.
For Ukrainian citizens and defense personnel, the change will not be immediate. Experts indicate that the missiles will not be operational until 2027 at the earliest. Once active, the domestic production could supplement Ukraine’s existing use of slower, less stealthy drones with high-velocity missiles capable of penetrating hardened structures. This development marks a transition in international support, moving toward the sharing of intellectual property and manufacturing capabilities rather than just the delivery of finished hardware.
The move has drawn criticism from the Russian government. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that the U.K. was "fanning the flame" of the conflict, a characterization Prime Minister Burnham rejected. The U.K. previously became the first nation to supply long-range strike weapons to Ukraine in 2023. Beyond the SCALP missile agreement, British officials are also reportedly working with defense firms to test a new ground-launched system capable of hitting targets 500 kilometers (310 miles) away. Next steps include the release of technical data by MBDA and the continued development of assembly lines within Ukraine.