Professor Justin Bronk

In the summer Professor Justin Bronk, an airpower expert at the Royal United Services Institute, and something of a Tempest sceptic, argued that big decade-long projects risked detracting from the urgent spending necessary to deter Russia and China in the next three years. “You have to be ready by that point — if I sound a bit alarmed it is because I am,” he said. “Stop looking at large-scale procurement programmes for the next little while.”

Professor Justin Bronk from defence think tank the Royal United Services Institute told BBC News it is "very likely" that US President Joe Biden's belated decision to allow long-range strikes with ATACMS ballistic missiles will also enable Storm Shadow to be used in at least the same way. "US objections will presumably have been dropped for them," he said. "Russian threats are unlikely to be considered a significant deterrent at this stage, since Russia has threatened dire consequences - including allusions to nuclear attacks - repeatedly throughout the war at each stage when Western equipment has been supplied."

The Israel Defense Forces said its Oct. 26 raid knocked out Iranian missile factories and air defences in three waves of strikes. Researchers said that based on satellite imagery, targets included buildings once used in Iran's nuclear programme. Tehran defends such targets with "a huge variety" of anti-aircraft systems, said Justin Bronk, an airpower and technology expert at London's Royal United Services Institute.