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PIMPF is equipped with a lithium-ion power supply, weighs about 5kg, is placed on the bottom wall of the BC case and can withstand overloads up to 10000g. The BC detonation system can be programmed to detonate either air or underground, making it possible to destroy ground targets as well. In the case of an aerial detonation, both charges are initiated simultaneously. In November 2004, Spain became the first foreign client to order KEPD 350 missiles for the Spanish Air Force's EF-18A (C.15) and Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft. The main contractor for the supply and integration of TAURUS missiles with EF-18A and Eurofighter aircraft is SENER. On June 24, 2005, the Spanish government approved the purchase of 43 TAURUS KEPD 350 missiles for equipping the EF-18A and Eurofighter aircraft.
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So far, Germany has resisted the calls to send the missiles, with former UK defence secretary Ben Wallace among those urging Berlin to provide Ukraine with the weapons. The Bundeswehr's Taurus are designed to be used with Tornado jets, and the missile, which was developed by the European missile company MBDA, would first have to be adapted to the fighter jets used by Ukraine's Air Force. This long-range missile flies at an altitude of only 35 meters, which makes it almost impossible for radar systems to detect.
IRIS-T Air-to-Air Guided Missile, Germany
While the range of Storm Shadows given to Ukraine remains unclear, export Storm Shadows typically are constrained to the lowest figure. Moments before impact, the missile releases a ‘precursor’ shaped charge weighing 220 pounds that blasts a hole in a hardened structure or underground bunker. Thanks to its PIMPF void-sensing smart fuse, the penetrator itself can be programmed to explode after having pierced through, say, a certain number of floors in an underground facility. A transfer to Ukraine would result in the first-ever combat use of Taurus, which is currently not in production. Germany claims that it only has 150 Taurus missiles operational out of the 600 received by the Luftwaffe from 2005 to 2010. However, manufacturer Taurus Systems (a two-thirds German, one-third Swedish joint venture) claims that the operational number is closer to 300.
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For Germany's Scholz, Taurus missiles are a bridge too far in Ukraine - Defense News
For Germany's Scholz, Taurus missiles are a bridge too far in Ukraine.
Posted: Wed, 13 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
And the MP speaking on behalf of the SPD’s foreign-policy group, Nils Schmid, said he wouldn’t “rule out the possibility” on condition such transfers were in concert with the United States. A German Defense Ministry spokesperson told Newsweek on Monday they could not give any new information on the transfer of Taurus systems to Ukraine, referring to comments from German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius on August 3. They also discuss potential red lines for German politicians, including a desire to avoid the military being seen as directly involved. “German soldiers must at no point and in no place be linked to targets this system reaches,” he said last week. In her retort, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said, “If Russia had not brutally attacked this country, Ukraine would not have to defend itself,” according to the dpa news agency. The conversation on a sensitive subject was never meant to be public, and the leak embarrassed Germany and raised concerns about the security of its communications.
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According to the developer, the maximum range of the missile has been increased to 500 km. Currently, in addition to the basic version of the KEPD 350, Taurus Systems GmbH offers a family of modular missiles that have different combat equipment and can be used on different targets and from different carriers. The lightweight version KEPD-150 is designed to equip the Swedish Air Force's JAS-39 Gripen multi-purpose fighter (see photo). The TAURUS CL variant is offered for arming advanced frigates and destroyer squadrons of the German Navy.
The Taurus aviation cruise missile, known as the 'bunker buster', has the capability to penetrate air defences, delivering a deep hammer-like blow to the enemy. With what is known as terrain-referenced navigation, Taurus scans the ground and compares the images with previously stored data. These were delivered between 2005 and 2010, and integrated both on Luftwaffe Tornados and newer 4.5-generation Eurofighter Typhoon jets. So, Taurus spells very bad news for personnel and weapons sensibly sheltered in underground bunkers to protect against such strikes.
Unofficially, German officials are ready to give their missiles only when Washington officially says they'll give their long-range ATACMS. There are rumors that Taurus missiles were possibly utilized during NATO military actions in the Yugoslav conflict and in Afghanistan, although these claims remain unverified. The only actual combat engagement of these missiles is linked to a test operation by the Spanish army in South Africa in May 2009. Furthermore, South Korean forces deployed Taurus missiles in 2016 to establish a preemptive defense system against North Korean missiles. One special thing about them is that they can fly long distances even without GPS.
Destroying the various bridges in Crimea could choke off Russian supplies to the peninsula. The Chonhar Bridge stretches from Russia's military logistics hub at Dzhankoi to Melitopol, the Russian-occupied city in Ukraine's southern Zaporizhzhia region. In the course of the discussion, it becomes clear that they are referring to the Kerch bridge linking Russia and occupied Crimea. One of the officials says that training to target the bridge, which is “as big as an airfield,” would likely take longer. Here is a look at the fallout from what German media are calling the “wiretapping affair” and the Taurus missiles at the heart of the tensions.
They are equipped with the same navigation systems, with marginal improvements made to the Taurus and a different engine, he added. Sending the Taurus would bolster Ukraine's long-range strike capabilities, as the missiles only slightly differ from Storm Shadow missiles. Storm Shadow missiles manage to penetrate the first layer of the bridge, but fail to critically damage its structure, Hoffmann said. The Taurus, however, could have a secondary warhead which detonates once the initial blast gets through the first layer, he said.
The Taurus KEPD 350 is one of the most advanced air-launched cruise missiles in the world. It offers a long-range, precise, stealthy, and versatile strike capability against hard and soft targets. It is a formidable weapon that can enhance the air power of any country that possesses it. Work on improving the missile, its integration into modern weapon systems continues.

However, it is understood that Ukraine has agreed not to strike within recognized Russian territory, or politically sensitive Russian targets, with these long-range weapons. Kyiv requested the German-Swedish Taurus cruise missiles just before its counteroffensive kicked off, but Berlin is yet to make a decision on furnishing Ukraine with the missiles. Ukraine has asked its Western backers for long-range strike weapons in military aid packages, and both London and Paris have committed the Anglo-French Storm Shadow, or SCALP, missiles in recent months. Instead, they want Taurus missiles for striking Russian ammunition depots behind the front line and for attacking resupply routes, like the Kerch Bridge, that fuel Moscow’s assault. Ukraine has been pushing Germany to supply the long-range Taurus missiles which would give its forces more deep-strike capabilities. The Taurus’s MEPHISTO warhead may be more effective at piercing and shattering bridge spans.
The missile uses a combination of inertial navigation system (INS), image-based navigation (IBN), terrain-referenced navigation (TRN), and global positioning system (GPS) to guide itself to the target. The missile also has a high-resolution infrared camera that can support the navigation and the target acquisition. The missile has stealth features that reduce its radar cross-section and infrared signature. The missile also has self-defence mechanisms and electronic countermeasures to evade enemy air defences. The missile was designed to penetrate hardened and deeply buried targets, such as bunkers, command and control centres, as well as airfields, ports, ammunition depots, ships, and bridges.
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