The Taurus KEPD-350 cruise missile flies at over 1,000 km/h from a height of just 35 meters. It is one of the Bundeswehr’s most modern weapons, and the German Federal Chancellor is reluctant to pass it on to Ukraine.
(DW) The Taurus KEPD-350 is an air-launched cruise missile of German-Swedish origin, manufactured by Taurus Systems and used by the armed forces of Germany, Spain and South Korea. Taurus Systems is a partnership between the German company MBDA Deutschland (formerly LFK) and the Swedish company Saab Bofors Dynamics.
The Taurus KEPD-350 is one of the Bundeswehr’s most modern weapons systems. The 5-meter-long, 1,360 kg guided missile is launched by fighter planes and then, powered by a jet engine, finds its predetermined target on the ground.
With a speed of up to 1,170 km/h (i.e. just below the speed of sound), the Taurus flies at an altitude of only around 35 meters, making it almost impossible to detect by enemy radar. Its range is up to 500 kilometers. This allows pilots to hit targets at a great distance. They don’t necessarily need to enter enemy airspace to launch the Taurus.
What type of target is the Taurus used against?
The German Air Force speaks of “high value targets” (in military terminology), such as bunkers or command posts from which enemy troops carry out operations. The Taurus is able to overcome consecutive thick walls of reinforced concrete. To do this, the missile rises abruptly just before the target and attacks it from above, in a vertical dive with high kinetic energy.
Before the warhead itself explodes, a shaped charge explodes and makes a hole in the bunker wall. Through this hole penetrates the so-called metal penetrator, which weighs 400 kilos and uses sensors to measure the resistance it needs to overcome. This allows the Taurus to penetrate several floors of a bunker before the warhead explodes.
How does the Taurus reach its target?
Taurus uses four separate navigation systems to maintain its course. The satellite-based GPS system is protected against jamming attempts. In what is known as terrain reference navigation, the Taurus scans the ground and compares it with previously stored data.
Using image sensors, the Taurus can also use bridges, rivers or road junctions to find its way around. In addition, Taurus can determine its own position by constantly measuring its own headway.
How would Ukraine use the Taurus?
The Taurus missiles would give Ukraine the possibility of also attacking Russian positions far behind the front line. This would allow Ukraine to destroy supply routes and command centers of the Russian invaders. In particular, Ukraine could hit targets in Crimea, which would be crucial to recovering its territory.
Ukraine already has the UK’s Storm Shadow and France’s Scalp cruise missiles. Both systems are similar to the Taurus, but have a shorter range.
Why is the German government reluctant?
With the Taurus, Ukraine could attack targets on Russian territory. The German government wants to avoid this for fear of a new escalation in the war. For this reason, Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz has put the brakes on the deployment of Taurus missiles
Russia has repeatedly warned against supplying weapons systems such as the US Taurus or ATACMS to Ukraine, even though it is itself using long-range missiles to attack Ukrainian cities.
However, within the governing coalition parties in Germany and also among parts of the opposition, there are repeated calls for Taurus cruise missiles to be sent to Ukraine soon. The argument is that only with them would Ukraine have a chance of defending itself against the Russians. However, experts agree that such a weapons system would not cause a real turnaround in the course of the war.
How long does Germany need to supply the Taurus?
Of the 600 or so Taurus in the Bundeswehr’s arsenal, between 150 and 300 should be operational. The rest would first have to be prepared. The unit price is around 1 million euros.
However, the Taurus would first have to be adapted to the fighters of the Ukrainian Air Force. The Bundeswehr’s Taurus missiles were designed for use with Tornado and Eurofighter jets.
*** Translated by DEFCONPress FYI Team ***