ATACMS is a ground launched ballistic missile, so it follows a straight-forward parabolic trajectory: it climbs very high, goes very fast and then comes down on top of programmed GPS coordinates. Storm Shadow is a stealthy air launched cruise missile, it flies low at subsonic speeds and can manoeuver following a pre-progammed path (for example, to go around known air defense locations) and had advanced optics to locate the target.
Technologically Storm Shadow is way more advanced and it has a higher payload too. It also costs 4 times as much per missile, there are less of them and they can’t carry a cluster bomb warhead because in Europe we decided not to make those weapons anymore.
In a technical sense, they’re not similar at all.
ATACMS is a ground launched ballistic missile, so it follows a straight-forward parabolic trajectory: it climbs very high, goes very fast and then comes down on top of programmed GPS coordinates. Storm Shadow is a stealthy air launched cruise missile, it flies low at subsonic speeds and can manoeuver following a pre-progammed path (for example, to go around known air defense locations) and had advanced optics to locate the target.
Technologically Storm Shadow is way more advanced and it has a higher payload too. It also costs 4 times as much per missile, there are less of them and they can’t carry a cluster bomb warhead because in Europe we decided not to make those weapons anymore.
Both would be very useful for Ukraine.
Good thing the US is supplying cluster munitions to Ukraine.