---
title: "Britain and France Agree to Set Up SCALP/Storm Shadow Missile Assembly Lines in Ukraine"
description: "In London, Andy Burnham and Emmanuel Macron discussed the creation of SCALP/Storm Shadow missile assembly lines in Ukraine and the outcomes of the “coalition of the willing” session. This is the next step after London’s pledge to transfer the production technology."
date: 2026-09-03T22:26:06.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/britain-france-scalp-storm-shadow-assembly-lines-ukraine
tags: [ukraine, missiles, scalp, storm-shadow, uk-france, defense-production]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Britain and France Agree to Set Up SCALP/Storm Shadow Missile Assembly Lines in Ukraine

![UK and French leaders meeting to agree on setting up SCALP and Storm Shadow missile assembly lines in Ukraine](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/04/britaniya-frantsiya-linii-sborki-raket-scalp-ukraina/britaniya-frantsiya-linii-sborki-raket-scalp-ukraina-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Burnham and Macron discussed the creation of SCALP/Storm Shadow missile assembly lines in Ukraine during a meeting in London.
- SCALP is the French version of the British Storm Shadow; both systems use shared Franco-British technology.
- The discussion was a continuation of Burnham’s 24 August statement on transferring Storm Shadow production technology to Ukraine and the outcomes of the “coalition of the willing” session in Kyiv.
- Sources differ in their wording of the process stage: “further steps/plans” versus “start of production.”

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed the further development of defence cooperation with Ukraine during a meeting in London, with the production of long-range missiles at the centre of the agenda. According to RBC-Ukraine, citing a statement by the UK government, one of the key items on the agenda was the establishment of assembly lines for long-range SCALP/Storm Shadow missiles on Ukrainian territory. The leaders also confirmed their intention to continue working together to safeguard the common interests of both countries.

### SCALP and Storm Shadow: a shared technological base

It is important to stress that this is not simply about delivering finished munitions, but about transferring elements of the production cycle directly to Ukraine. SCALP is the French version of the British Storm Shadow missile, and both systems rely on shared French and British technology. It is precisely this technological compatibility that makes it logical to discuss unified assembly lines on Ukrainian territory, rather than piecemeal deliveries.

### Context: from a pledge in Kyiv to joint production

The question of producing missiles in Ukraine was not raised by chance. It flows directly from a statement made by Burnham during his visit to Kyiv on 24 August, when the British prime minister announced that London had decided to share the technology for producing Storm Shadow missiles with Ukraine. Thus, the London meeting with Macron became the next, more concrete step — moving from a political pledge to working out the practical organisation of assembly.

### The “coalition of the willing” and the outcomes of the Kyiv session

Beyond the missile issue, Burnham and Macron reviewed the outcomes of the “coalition of the willing” session, which took place in Kyiv last week. This indicates that the discussion of SCALP/Storm Shadow is being embedded in a broader format of coordinated support for Ukraine by several states, rather than within a bilateral framework.

### Contradictory data

There is a discrepancy in the wording of different sources regarding the stage at which the process stands. The basic message from the government and RBC-Ukraine speaks of “further steps” and “the creation of assembly lines,” i.e. of planning and preparation. At the same time, the headline of pravda.com.ua characterises the discussion as the “start of production,” while pnp.ru describes it as “plans for assembly.” In other words, one version describes the planning and preparation stage, while the other describes an actual start. The exact stage (preparation, launch, or already operational lines) is not unambiguously fixed in the provided materials, and both interpretations should be taken into account.

### Expert view: feasibility and timelines

RBC-Ukraine also polled representatives of the defence industry on how long it might take to launch such production and whether Ukraine’s defence industry is ready for it. Aviation expert and development director of a defence enterprise Anatoly Khrapchinsky commented on how realistic it is to assemble Storm Shadow and SCALP missiles in Ukraine. These assessments are important for understanding the gap between the political decision and the engineering and production practice, although specific figures and timelines are not provided in the available materials.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Britain and France discuss SCALP missile production in Ukraine](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/britaniya-ta-frantsiya-obgovorili-virobnitstvo-1788471722.html) - Базовый источник: встреча Бернема и Макрона в Лондоне, обсуждение линий сборки SCALP/Storm Shadow, контекст визита 24 августа и опросы экспертов.
- [Burnham and Macron discuss plans to assemble long-range SCALP missiles in Ukraine](https://www.pnp.ru/in-world/bernem-i-makron-obsudili-plany-po-sborke-dalnoboynykh-raket-scalp-na-ukraine.html) - Подтверждает обсуждение; характеризует процесс как «планы по сборке».
- [Burnham and Macron discuss the start of SCALP missile production in Ukraine](https://www.pravda.com.ua/rus/news/2026/09/03/8051797/) - Подтверждает встречу, но в заголовке использует формулировку «начало производства», что расходится с «планами/дальнейшими шагами».
- [British Storm Shadow missile production technology for Ukraine: a useful step, but not what Kyiv ...](https://www.bbc.com/russian/articles/cvgy4d2lxyro) - Дает контекст по передаче технологии производства Storm Shadow Украине.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: What exactly did Burnham and Macron discuss in London?
**A:** They discussed further defence cooperation with Ukraine, in particular the establishment of assembly lines for long-range SCALP/Storm Shadow missiles on Ukrainian territory, and also reviewed the outcomes of the “coalition of the willing” session held in Kyiv.

### Q: What are SCALP and Storm Shadow, and how are they related?
**A:** SCALP is the French version of the British Storm Shadow missile. Both systems use shared French and British technology, which makes it possible to discuss joint assembly lines.

### Q: Is this about delivering finished missiles or about production in Ukraine?
**A:** This is about expanding cooperation in the production sphere directly on Ukrainian territory, not simply about delivering finished missiles. It is a continuation of Burnham’s 24 August statement on transferring Storm Shadow production technology to Ukraine.

### Q: At what stage is the process, according to the sources?
**A:** Sources disagree: some speak of “further steps” and “assembly plans,” while others (pravda.com.ua) speak of the “start of production.” The exact stage is not unambiguously fixed in the materials.