Merz’s missile promise: CDU/CSU's win boosts Ukraine defense
The German elections concluded with a victory for the CDU/CSU party, led by Friedrich Merz. Prior to the elections, he visited Kyiv and promised to deliver long-awaited missiles if he won. Now, the delivery of these missiles seems to be just a formality in the coming months.
In December 2024, during a visit to Kyiv, Friedrich Merz pledged to supply Ukrainians with TAURUS KEPD 350 cruise missiles, a key issue that contributed to the fall of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's coalition.
It's also noteworthy 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 indicate preparations for transferring some to Ukraine.
TAURUS KEPD 350 - Europe's bunker buster
The TAURUS KEPD 350 cruise missile is the result of a collaboration between Berlin and Stockholm, which began in the 1990s. Earlier, in the 1980s, Germany had shown interest in similar arms, 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 endeavor, choosing instead to partner with Sweden to develop their own missile. This resulted in the TAURUS KEPD 350, introduced into service in 2005. The name is an acronym for Kinetic Energy Penetration Destroyer.
The key features of the TAURUS KEPD 350 missile include a range of over 300 miles and a stealth technology design. It measures 16 feet long and weighs 3,086 pounds, designed to be launched from aircraft. It is equipped with a unique 1,058-pound MEPHISTO warhead (Multi-Effect Penetrator Highly Sophisticated and Target Optimized).
While its weight is similar to that of the Storm Shadow, the TAURUS stands out with its advanced fuse, allowing for detonation upon impact, in the air, or with a delay, such as after penetrating two walls. Thanks to additional sensors in the fuse, the TAURUS can detect obstacles and empty spaces, detonating at a specific level of a bunker. Unlike other missiles where the delay is set manually based on target information, the TAURUS eliminates the risk of miscalculation.
Powered by a turbojet engine, the TAURUS KEPD 350 missile can maintain a subsonic speed ranging from 0.8 to 0.9 Mach at low altitude. Precision is ensured by a combination of inertial and satellite navigation systems, along with an optoelectronic warhead with a fourth-generation infrared sensor (IIR for Imaging Infrared). It detects the thermal signature of the target and allows for mapping of the surrounding area.
The collected topographic data is then compared with the uploaded map, enabling the TAURUS to strike the target even if satellite navigation systems are jammed. It would be an ideal missile for eliminating Russian command points deep behind enemy lines.
