War on terror

RAF uses Storm Shadows against IS bunker

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 27 June that the Royal Air Force (RAF) had used MBDA Storm Shadow cruise missiles for the first time against Islamic State targets in Iraq.

It said that two Tornado GR4 strike aircraft used the missiles to destroy a large bunker at an unidentified location in western Iraq on 26 June.

"Due to the massive construction, built during the Saddam era, it was decided to use four Storm Shadow missiles against it, as the weapon has particularly good capabilities against such a challenging target," the MoD said. "All four Storm Shadows scored direct hits and penetrated deep within the bunker."

The Storm Shadow carries a powerful shaped-charge warhead that punches a hole into a hardened target through which a penetration warhead can pass.