German politicians from both the ruling coalition and opposition parties are urging Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government to approve the transfer of long-range missiles Taurus to Ukraine, as has already been done by the United Kingdom and France. Source: DW.
What is known about the prospects of supplying long-range missiles Taurus to Ukraine?
Roderich Kiesewetter, a member of the Bundestag from the opposition Christian Democratic Union, stated that Berlin should immediately provide Kyiv with long-range missiles Taurus.
He noted that the Bundeswehr has 600 Taurus missiles in its arsenal, of which approximately 450 are not operational for combat use but can be modernized by the company MBDA and prepared for delivery to Ukraine.
Marcus Faber, an expert from the Free Democratic Party, a member of the ruling coalition, reminded that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have successfully employed the Storm Shadow missiles supplied by the United Kingdom.
According to his words, this indicates the significance of such weaponry for Ukraine.
What do the long-range Taurus missiles represent?
Taurus KEPD 350/150 is a subsonic, long-range, air-to-surface precision-guided missile designed for high-precision strikes and engagement of heavily protected and hardened targets without the need for the aircraft to enter the enemy’s air defense zone.
It is developed and produced by Taurus Systems, a joint venture of MBDA Deutschland and Swedish Saab Bofors Dynamics. According to media reports, the cost of one unit is nearly 1 million euros.
The basic model KEPD-350 has a tandem concrete-piercing warhead weighing 481 kg, with an explosive material weight of approximately 50 kg. The fully fueled weight is 1360 kg, and the empty weight is 1080 kg.
The maximum flight range is not less than 500 km. It can fly long distances without GPS, and its targeting accuracy is ensured by an autonomous inertial navigation system, which is periodically updated in-flight using radar data (terrain comparison with onboard maps).
On the approach to the target, based on data from the inertial system, the infrared homing seeker is activated. There are several variants of Taurus, including the lightweight KEPD-150.