CDU/CSU secures win: Missile pledge to Ukraine set in motion
German elections concluded with a victory for the CDU/CSU party, led by Friedrich Merz. Before the elections, he promised during a visit to Kyiv to deliver the much-anticipated missiles if he won. Now, it seems the delivery of these missiles will be a formality in the coming months.
As early as December 2024, during a visit to Kyiv, Friedrich Merz promised Ukrainians the delivery of TAURUS KEPD 350 cruise missiles, which were a contributing factor to the fall of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's coalition.
It's also worth noting that in recent days, the German branch of the MBDA corporation announced a contract for the renewal and modernization of Germany's TAURUS KEPD 350 missile stocks, which may suggest preparations for transferring some of them to Ukraine.
TAURUS KEPD 350 - Europe's bunker buster
The Taurus KEPD 350 cruise missile is the result of cooperation between Berlin and Stockholm that began in the 1990s. Even earlier, in the 1980s, Germany was interested in similar armament, leading to cooperation with France on the Apache missile project, which eventually evolved into the Storm Shadow missile.
However, due to political reasons, Germany decided to withdraw from this project, opting for a partnership with Sweden to develop their own missile. The result was the Taurus KEPD 350, introduced into service in 2005. Its name stands for Kinetic Energy Penetration Destroyer.
The standout features of the Taurus KEPD 350 missile include a range of over 480 kilometres and its stealthy design. The missile is launched from aircraft, measuring approximately 5 metres and weighing around 1,400 kilograms. It is equipped with a distinctive 480-kilogram MEPHISTO warhead (Multi-Effect Penetrator Highly Sophisticated and Target Optimised).
While its weight is similar to that of the Storm Shadow, Taurus stands out with its advanced fuse, allowing for detonation upon impact, in the air, and with a delay, for instance, after penetrating two walls. Thanks to additional sensors in the fuse, Taurus can detect obstacles and empty spaces, enabling detonation at a specific level of a bunker. Unlike other missiles where delay is set manually based on target information, the risk of miscalculation with Taurus is eliminated.
Powered by a turbojet engine, the Taurus KEPD 350 missile maintains a subsonic speed between 0.8 and 0.9 Mach at low altitudes. Precision is ensured by a combination of inertial and satellite navigation systems, along with an optoelectronic warhead featuring a fourth-generation infrared sensor (IIR from Imaging Infrared). This sensor detects the thermal signature of the target and allows for mapping of the surrounding area.
The gathered topographic data is then compared with the uploaded map, allowing Taurus to strike the target even if satellite navigation systems are jammed. It would be an ideal missile for eliminating Russian command points far behind enemy lines.
