MBDA, in partnership with SAAB through their joint venture TAURUS Systems GmbH, has signed a contract with the Bundeswehr to modernise and maintain the TAURUS stand-off weapon system, ensuring its operational readiness through at least 2045.
As quoted in a press release, “A central component of the contract is the comprehensive modernisation of TAURUS cruise missiles used by the German armed forces. In addition to maintenance, the system will receive technological upgrades to meet the increasing demands placed on modern weapon systems.”
The modernisation efforts will significantly enhance Germany’s stand-off weapon capability, with the TAURUS missile playing a key role within the German Air Force and NATO’s strategic deterrence.
The Taurus is a German-Swedish air-launched cruise missile designed for precision strikes on fortified and strategic targets. Developed by Taurus Systems GmbH, a collaboration between MBDA Deutschland and Saab Bofors Dynamics, the missile has been operational since 2006 and is utilised by Germany, Spain, and South Korea. Featuring stealth technology, it has a range exceeding 500 km and is compatible with multiple aircraft, including the Eurofighter Typhoon and McDonnell Douglas F-15K Slam Eagle.
It is equipped with a 480 kg dual-stage MEPHISTO warhead, designed to penetrate hardened underground targets such as bunkers and command centres, as well as maritime and infrastructure targets.
The Taurus KEPD 350 employs advanced guidance systems, including inertial navigation, terrain-referenced navigation, image-based navigation, and GPS. It follows a low-altitude, terrain-hugging flight path to evade detection and improve survivability. Upon reaching its target, the missile executes a climb manoeuvre to optimise impact accuracy. Safety measures are incorporated to minimise collateral damage, including a mechanism to divert to a pre-determined crash site if target acquisition is unsuccessful. The missile also features electronic countermeasures to enhance its operational resilience in hostile environments.
The missile originated from Germany’s efforts to develop a domestic alternative after failing to procure French Apache missiles during the Cold War. Spain integrated the Taurus into its air force in 2009, while South Korea acquired 260 units for its F-15K fleet between 2013 and 2016. In recent years, discussions regarding its use in international conflicts have been contentious. Germany declined requests to supply the missile to Ukraine during the ongoing conflict with Russia, citing political considerations. The Taurus KEPD 350 remains a key asset in the arsenals of its operators, valued for its precision and adaptability in modern warfare.
A really good example of why we should always be very very wary of any joint defence developments with Germany. It’s politics means it would be very difficult to use the weapons in a wider geopolitical sense, such as gifting them to an ally or selling them. The French may be hard work around workshare arguing over everything, if you actually develop something they are not going to get all tied up over use.
Unless it doesn’t suit the French….
True, but the french would only block for a very specific geopolitical reason that goes against their specific interests ( as the. UK has done with Argentina) , not the moral, lack of moral fibre, ethical reasoning of the German government.
Labour have gone to town somewhat emphasizing the joint developments taking place with Germany. from M3 Rig replacement to RCH155 to Boxer to this new GLCM.
They spun many of them as of their own creation, when many go back to the previous government.
So surely that does not mean we cannot use Boxers or our Tanks?
It’s not so much our use, we can use them as we wish, it comes to exports, Germany would have a veto any nation we wished to sell or gift them to. That’s the same with most equipment as nations are always working together.look how hard the UK has made it for Argentina to get fast jets because bits of our tec are in so many fast jets….but Germany has a very specific risk attached to it in that even if it’s not geopolitically important to it, it may object on some odd moral ground. It’s not a very good ally from a wider geopolitical point of view due to cultural hang ups and the high levels of support for living in peace with Russia no matter what that can be found in the east of the country. It basically means the UKs world view of active intervention and the German non intervention approach don’t gel well.
Come on Jonathan, they do have a good reason. If anyone had said Germany was going to splunk €50bn in updating its armed forces in 1990, people would have had a fit. The German people, like the Japanese have a memory of what they did. I know they still teach their schoolchildren a thorough history of WWII and whst Germany did. That programmes many to say never again. We would be saying it too if a far-right party assumed power and decided Germany was become Europe’s largest military.
Jonathan you may have a deeper understanding than me. equally i believe the german mindset different from uk especially towards russia. the gas pipelines continued despite russian history of using energy as a weapon and post crimea invasion, poor judgement and self interest. germany wanted cheap energy for industry and manufacturing exports worldwide. shutting down working nuclear power stations was icing on the cake pushing up energy prices for western allies.
I always find it interesting that in spite of SAAB building this Sweden has never, as far as I know, bought any.
I’d assume this is mostly about replacing obsolescent parts and improving the software to work with better storage/memory/processors so the terrain guidance makes any GPS jamming or spoofing immaterial. Maybe adding LIDAR – which with clear skies is reverting accurate and cheap to implement.
Could also be an inertial upgrade so there is a full four input comparison to make GPS ticks even more obvious?