Germany could follow Britain’s example and provide Ukraine with long-range cruise missiles, specifically the Taurus KEPD 350 missile.

The Taurus missile, which offers broadly similar capabilities to the British Storm Shadow or the French SCALP-EG (same system as Storm Shadow) features deep-strike and behind-enemy-line capabilities. In addition, many systems of this type are found in the stockpiles of the German Army.

Since Germany does not possess a single F-16 jet, German Parliament member of the CDU Roderich Kiesewetter (@RKiesewetter) offers the excellent idea that Germany should deliver the “Taurus” cruise missile which has a range of at least 500km. Additionally, equipment such as… pic.twitter.com/JyACC4GiLL

— (((Tendar))) (@Tendar) May 23, 2023

Roderich Kiesewetter of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), a member of the federal parliament since 2009 and a former general staff officer, is pushing Germany’s coalition government to approve the transfer of the Taurus missile to Ukraine, saying he is confident the missile will be quickly integrated in the Ukrainian Air Force, as has already been done with the Storm Shadow.

The stand-off missile in question is exclusively carried by Tornado IDS fighter jets, which are due to be decommissioned around 2030 and replaced by fifth-generation F-35A aircraft, leaving the future of the missile uncertain.

Also read: ILA 2022 | MBDA unveils its new, stand-off surface-to-surface JFS-M missile system – VIDEO

Specifications:

• Range: >500 km
• Weight: 1400 kg
• Length: 5 meters
• Warhead weight: 480 kg

The navigation system uses an inertial guidance system (INS), continuously supported by GPS, and is based on ground sensors allowing the system to maintain its planned flight path even without permanent GPS availability. Also, its modular architecture allows for continuous future upgrades.

Furthermore, the two-stage warhead combines both high penetration capabilities into hard and deeply buried targets (HDBT) as well as high-explosive fragments against area targets.

In fact, one of the advantages of the system is the programmable multi-purpose fuze, which can be activated at a pre-selected floor within the target structure through layer-counting and void-sensing technologies.

TAURUS is in the arsenal of the German Tornado IDS, the Spanish EF-18, and the South Korean F-15K and is manufactured by MBDA Deutschland and Saab Dynamics.

Also read: MBDA – SAAB | Cooperation over AKERON MP missile system