Germany's election outcome seals missile deal for Ukraine
The German elections concluded with a victory for the CDU/CSU party, led by Friedrich Merz. Before the elections, he pledged in Kyiv to deliver the long-awaited missiles if he emerged victorious. It now appears that the delivery of these missiles will become a mere formality over the coming months.
As early as December 2024 during a visit to Kyiv, Friedrich Merz assured Ukrainians of the delivery of TAURUS KEPD 350 cruise missiles, which was one of the factors leading to the downfall of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's coalition.
It is also noteworthy that in recent days, the German branch of the MBDA corporation announced a contract for the renewal and modernisation 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 collaboration between Berlin and Stockholm, which began in the 1990s. Going back further, in the 1980s, Germany showed interest in similar weaponry, resulting in collaboration with France on the Apache missile project, which ultimately evolved into the Storm Shadow missile.
However, for political reasons, Germany decided to withdraw from this undertaking, opting for a partnership with Sweden to develop their own missile. This led to the creation of the Taurus KEPD 350, brought into service in 2005. The name is an acronym for Kinetic Energy Penetration Destroyer.
The distinctive features of the Taurus KEPD 350 missile include its range of over 480 kilometres and its stealth technology design. The missile is designed to be launched from aircraft, measuring about 5 metres and weighing around 1,400 kilograms. It is equipped with a unique 480-kilogram MEPHISTO warhead (Multi-Effect Penetrator Highly Sophisticated and Target Optimised).
While its weight is similar to that of the Storm Shadow, Taurus distinguishes itself with its advanced fuse, allowing for detonation upon impact, in the air, and with a delay, for example, after penetrating two walls. Thanks to additional sensors within the fuse, Taurus can detect obstacles and empty spaces, allowing it to detonate at a specific level within a bunker. Unlike other missiles where delays are set manually based on target information, the risk of miscalculation with Taurus is greatly reduced.
Powered by a turbojet engine, the Taurus KEPD 350 missile can maintain a subsonic speed ranging from 0.8 to 0.9 Mach at a low altitude. Its 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 the surrounding area.
The collected topographic data is then compared with the uploaded map, enabling Taurus to hit the target even if satellite navigation systems are jammed. It would serve as an ideal missile for eliminating Russian command points deep behind enemy lines.
