Taurus long-range missiles: facts and technical features Espreso

Table Of Content

• Related to TAURUS KEPD 350
• Russian Losses in Ukraine on Course To Far Outstrip 2023 Total
• Taurus KEPD 350 Long-Range Air-to-Surface Missile
• The three digital data thread developments in 2022 that will transform defence logistics across land, air and sea
• How Germany's Taurus Missile Could Help Ukraine Retake Crimea
• How many Taurus missiles could Germany deliver?

On Sunday Nils Schmid, from the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SDP), told German daily Der Tagesspiegel he did "not rule out" sending systems like the Taurus "in alliance with the Americans." By the government’s own accounting, roughly €28 billion worth of equipment has already been provided or is earmarked over the next few years. The TAURUS KEPD 350 rocket has a supporting body, a slightly extended top-opening wing and a cruciform tail fin with controls. In order to reduce radar visibility, the rectangular housing is made of composite materials, has no sharp edges at the interface points and is covered with a radio absorbent material. On August 8, 2002, the German Federal Bureau for Defence Technology and Procurement concluded a contract with Taurus Systems GmbH for the supply of 600 TAURUS missiles and 14 training missiles for the Air Force (see photo).

Related to TAURUS KEPD 350

Moscow has repeatedly warned against the delivery of weapon systems such as the Taurus or the US ATACMS to Ukraine. Should Scholz supply Taurus missiles to Ukraine, the most important impact would simply be expanding Ukraine’s long-range cruise missile stockpile, which it must use very selectively given limited quantities built. According to Fabian Hoffman—an expert on missile technology at the University of Oslo—Ukraine’s Storm Shadow/SCALP inventory will likely peter out between October of 2023 and January of 2024, depending on how many France and England donated. Upon being launched, a Taurus’s Tri-tech navigation system fuses multiple sensors and reference libraries to continually track its position and correct its course. This allows Taurus to execute precision strikes even when GPS signals are being jammed, as Russia is doing with increasing frequency to reduce accuracy of GPS-guided rockets given to Ukraine. Until now, the administration of Chancellor Olaf Scholz has opposed giving long-range strike weapons to Ukraine on the grounds they could be used to strike targets deep inside Russian territory, potentially leading to dangerous escalation.

German lawmakers twist Scholz's arm on long-range missiles for Kyiv - Financial Times

German lawmakers twist Scholz's arm on long-range missiles for Kyiv.

Posted: Tue, 20 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Russian Losses in Ukraine on Course To Far Outstrip 2023 Total

Germany's parliament rejects a new opposition call to send Taurus missiles to Ukraine - The Associated Press

Germany's parliament rejects a new opposition call to send Taurus missiles to Ukraine.

Posted: Thu, 14 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]

This metal penetrator, weighing 400 kilograms (880 pounds), uses sensors to measure how much resistance it has to overcome. Taurus can penetrate several floors of a bunker before the actual warhead explodes. Taurus is used against what the German Air Force refers to as "high-value targets," which would include bunkers or command posts from which enemy troops control operations. When it reaches its target, the missile climbs steeply and then hits from above in a vertical nosedive.

Taurus KEPD 350 Long-Range Air-to-Surface Missile

In some political discussions, the range of the Taurus has been put at around 430 miles. Scholz’s remarks drew a sharp rebuke from opposition lawmakers of the Christian Democratic Union, who accused him of mistrusting Ukraine and disregarding the possibility local forces could eventually use the weapon entirely without German assistance. "We did that with Starstreak and Storm Shadow. Germany should now send their Taurus missile systems to Ukraine and join the UK and France." As many as 150 to 300 of the Bundeswehr's 600 Taurus missiles could quickly be ready for use.

The three digital data thread developments in 2022 that will transform defence logistics across land, air and sea

The TAURUS KEPD 350’s design philosophy revolves around the concept of stealth and evasion, ensuring its effectiveness in striking fortified positions while minimizing exposure to hostile air defenses. Crafted with meticulous attention to detail, its rectangular body is constructed from advanced composite materials, strategically avoiding sharp interfaces that could compromise its radar cross-section. However, it is the ingenious integration of a special radio-absorbent coating that elevates its stealth capabilities, rendering it even less detectable to enemy radar systems.

The order for Spanish Air Force was placed in November 2004 and deliveries were completed by August 2010. The air-to-ground guided Taurus KEPD 350 missile system has an overall weight of 1,400kg. Navigational accuracy lies at the heart of any successful precision strike, and the TAURUS KEPD 350 delivers on this front through its Tri-tech navigation system.

Apart from small differences, including how the two warheads are designed and the overall range, they would offer Ukraine the same batch of capabilities. Both types of air-launched cruise missiles, used by the German, Spanish and South Korean militaries, are designed to strike hardened and buried targets. Taurus cruise missiles can be armed with various types of warheads, allowing them to effectively target different kinds of objectives on the ground. The warhead options include the MEPHISTO tandem concrete breaker, a lighter version of it, cassette warheads, non-lethal warheads, and high-power microwave warheads. With this range, Taurus missiles can destroy various structures like bunkers, protected communication centers, airfields, ports, bridges, ammunition storage areas, and even ships.

Said in May it was sending Storm Shadows, a promise followed by France in mid-July. Experts quickly said the missiles would allow Ukraine to strike further into Russian-held territory, complicating Moscow's air defense plans. The recording makes clear that the German government has not given its OK for the delivery of the cruise missiles sought by Ukraine. Germany is the second-biggest supplier of military aid to Ukraine after the United States and is further stepping up support this year. Last week, he said sending the missiles would pose a risk of his country becoming directly involved in the war.

Notably, the air intake channels sport a curved design, a tactical innovation aimed at concealing the engine turbine’s signature from prying ground-based radars. Ukraine could be inching closer to receiving long-range Taurus cruise missiles from Germany in what would be a boost to Kyiv's ability to strike critical far-off Russian targets. With "Storm Shadow" from the UK and the "Scalp" cruise missiles from France, the Ukrainian army already has similar weapon systems — but with a shorter range. Ellie Cook is a Newsweek security and defense reporter based in London, U.K. Her work focuses largely on the Russia-Ukraine war, the U.S. military, weapons systems and emerging technology. She joined Newsweek in January 2023, having previously worked as a reporter at the Daily Express, and is a graduate of International Journalism at City, University of London. Germany is now the second-biggest supplier of military aid to Ukraine after the United States and is further stepping up its support this year.

Ukraine could be on the cusp of getting Germany's Taurus long-range cruise missiles, possibly giving Kyiv the edge it needs to move its ongoing counteroffensive firmly into Russian-controlled Crimea. BERLIN (AP) — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz made clear Monday that he remains reluctant to send Taurus long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine, pointing to a risk of his country becoming directly involved in the war. The blast and fragmentation capabilities eliminate the collateral damage to civil facilities near the target. The stand-off and precision capabilities of the missile and deployment range of more than 350km ensure maximum safety to the aircraft and crew. The high precision stand-off guided missile system can penetrate through dense air defence systems and destroy the hard and deeply buried stationary and semi-stationary military targets on ground.

Germany has not approved deploying the weapons despite months of pressure from Ukraine. The programmable fuse is designed with layer counting and void sensing technology. It was developed by TDW Gesellschaft für verteidigungstechnische Wirksysteme. Taurus KEPD 350 (kinetic energy penetration destroyer) is a long-range air-to-surface missile developed and manufactured by Taurus Systems. The company is a joint venture between LFK-Lenkflugkörpersysteme (EADS/MBDA) (67%) and Saab-Bofors Dynamics (33%). However, in late June, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said Germany won't give these missiles to Ukraine.

Taurus Systems has proposed a few variant Taurus missiles, including models designed to launch from the open rear ramp of cargo aircraft (Taurus T), or surface-launched from containers that could be plonked onto trucks or ships (Taurus CL). A mysterious Modular Payload model was possibly intended for electronic warfare or microwave-weapon payloads (Taurus MP or HPM). There’s also a reduced-mass variant (KEPD-150 Taurus-L) with smaller fuel supply and warhead, and a proposed anti-ship model. How effective the Taurus or Storm Shadows could be depend on how Ukraine would use them, such as targeting the supports of bridges or roadways, he said. Last week, German lawmakers called on the government to deliver further long-range weapons to Ukraine, but voted down an opposition call explicitly urging it to send Taurus long-range cruise missiles.

In August, there was news that the Bundestag seemed to agree to give Ukraine the Taurus missiles. A few days later, a German news source, Spiegel, said Chancellor Olaf Scholz wants to modify the missiles so Ukraine can't hit Russian territory, excluding Crimea controlled by Russia. Taurus missiles were made for different military uses, like attacking important military and infrastructure targets. The 16-foot-long Taurus missile has a range in excess of 310 miles, which is around double the Storm Shadow, also made by European missile manufacturer MBDA. However, experts have previously told Newsweek that the true strike range of the Storm Shadow could exceed its official number. The missile can be equipped with passive protection means against air defense, including IR traps and dipole reflectors.

The missile was developed by Taurus Systems GmbH - a joint venture between MBDA Deutschland and the Swedish company Saab Bofors Dynamics AB. The development of the missile began in 1998, went at an accelerated pace and already in 2004 the KEPD 350 missile went on flight tests and was adopted for service. "Every time Russia strikes civilians & breaks international law by targeting civilian infrastructure in Ukraine there needs to be a response," he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. Those calling for its delivery to Ukraine say that with a range of just over 310 miles, it will allow the targeting of Russian military infrastructure far behind the frontlines. Before the actual warhead explodes, a charge blasts through the bunker's outer walls.

It’s unclear how many of the remainder could be refurbished back into service, and how quickly that could happen. The range of the Taurus missiles is touted as in excess of 310 miles, but some parliamentary discussions have suggested its real range could be 430 miles, Hoffman said. Officially Storm Shadows can reach around 155 miles, although experts suggest this may be lower than its true capability. Dzhankoi is home to one of "the most important Russian military airfields in Crimea," Britain's Ministry of Defence has previously said, as well as being a "key road and rail junction" vital for supplying Russia's troops in southern Ukraine.

The second warhead "explodes in the pillar, which then of course maximizes the destructiveness and can really cause significant damage to a bridge." The four military officers discuss how Taurus missiles could be used by Kyiv against invading Russian forces and how Germany would need to support Ukraine technically. Equipped with stealth technology that makes them less visible to detection, the missiles have a range of up to 500 kilometers (310 miles), which would help Ukraine to put pressure on Russia in the Black Sea and elsewhere. In fact, the German officers discussed sending the Taurus missiles only in theory.