The UK government will allow defense company MBDA to declassify information on British components used in Storm Shadow/SCALP cruise missiles, part of an effort to help Ukraine and France establish local missile production, a government statement reads. The announcement comes as UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham arrives in Kyiv for Ukraine Independence Day on Monday for his first international visit “to reiterate UK’s unwavering commitment to Ukraine.”JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “The Government has agreed that defense firm MBDA can release classified information on UK components for the long-range missile, SCALP, as Ukraine and France look to establish local assembly lines in Ukraine,” the statement says. SCALP is the French variant of the UK’s Storm Shadow missile, with both systems built on technology jointly developed by Britain and France, according to the statement. The decision follows the UK’s 2023 delivery of long-range weapons to Ukraine – the first country to do so – and is expected to enable French and Ukrainian specialists to set up missile production and assembly lines within Ukraine. The announcement is expected during a visit to Kyiv Monday. Storm Shadow missiles have already been integrated into Ukraine’s strike capabilities, according to Toby Dickinson, former head of air combat operations for the UK’s Royal Air Force.