Media: Germany to invest over €800 million in upgrading Taurus missiles

The German government plans to invest €829.8 million in a significant upgrade of its existing Taurus cruise missiles, according to a document from the country's Ministry of Finance sent to the Bundestag's (Parliament) budget committee.

The document reveals that the German Ministry of Defence will enter into a framework agreement with Taurus Systems GmbH to modernize 479 of the missiles, Caliber.Az reports per DPA.

The upgrades are expected to enhance the Taurus' range at low altitudes and enable the missiles to hit targets even if the GPS signal is disrupted.

Approximately 600 Taurus missiles were purchased for the Bundeswehr (armed forces of Germany) a decade ago. 

To recap, the Taurus cruise missile, one of the most formidable weapons in the German military's arsenal, has been a long-standing item on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's wish list. Despite this, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, of the Social Democrats (SPD), continues to refuse to approve the export of the missile to Ukraine.

With a warhead capable of penetrating bunkers, the Taurus missile has a range of 500 kilometres (approximately 300 miles) and can be launched from a fighter jet. Ukraine aims to use it to strike Russian positions from which President Vladimir Putin's forces have been launching attacks on Ukrainian cities. Recently, Russian rocket fire against Ukrainian cities has escalated.

The issue resurfaced in Germany following reports that US President Joe Biden, just months before the end of his presidency, had decided to allow Ukraine to deploy US-made long-range missiles against Russian targets.

It is believed that Biden's decision was partly influenced by Russia’s efforts to secure military support from North Korea, including sending thousands of soldiers to the front lines. With Ukraine’s military situation becoming increasingly dire, there are growing calls for Germany to supply the Taurus missile to Ukraine.

The Taurus missile boasts a significantly longer range than the American-made ATACMS, which Ukraine is expected to use for the first time in the coming days to target Russian positions.

By Aghakazim Guliyev