Germany invests €2.1 billion in next-gen Taurus missiles

The plans to acquire Taurus Neo missiles were confirmed in an interview with the newspaper "Der Spiegel" by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius. The cost of this endeavor could reach as high as 2.1 billion euros, allowing the German army to receive up to 600 of these missiles.

The specifications for Taurus Neo are not yet known, but it will most likely be an upgrade of the well-known Taurus KEPD 350 cruise missiles. This is a long-range weapon, capable of striking targets up to 310 miles away. These missiles are built with stealth technology (low observability), measuring around 16 feet in length, and equipped with MEPHISTO warheads (Multi-Effect Penetrator, Highly Sophisticated and Target Optimized) weighing around 1,100 pounds. Depending on the target, the warhead can detonate like a classic high-explosive fragmentation missile or with a delay.

Currently, it is unclear what upgrades will be implemented in Taurus Neo. It is speculated that the new version of the missile may see improvements in range, accuracy, and efficiency in avoiding enemy air defense systems. The Eurofighter Typhoon fighters are expected to serve as the carrier for the Taurus Neo missiles.

Long-range cruise missiles are one of the weapons that Kyiv authorities have been strongly seeking for months. Their calls were answered by London and Paris, who supplied Storm Shadow and SCALP-EG cruise missiles. Their range is also estimated at around 310 miles.

Berlin, despite being among Ukraine's largest allies, has taken a different stance regarding this type of weapon. Most German politicians believe that providing Ukraine with Taurus cruise missiles could escalate the ongoing conflict, especially if Ukrainian forces use them against targets in Russia. Furthermore, there were suggestions that to properly operate Taurus cruise missiles, German soldiers would need to be present in Ukraine, which is an unacceptable scenario for Berlin.