Why Ukraine wants Germany's Taurus missile

According to an article by DW, Germany is considering sending "Taurus" guided missiles to Ukraine. What can these systems do? Caliber.Az reprints this article.

The "Taurus KEPD-350" which Germany is considered to be one of the most modern weapon systems the German military, the Bundeswehr, currently has.

The missile is five meters long, weighs 1.4 tons, and is fired from the air by fighter jets, whereupon it travels at 1,170 kilometres per hour (727 mph) — that's almost the speed of sound — to find a target that can be as far as 500 kilometres away.

This long-range missile flies at an altitude of only 35 meters, which makes it almost impossible for radar systems to detect.

How does the Taurus find its target?

Taurus uses four independent navigation systems to stay on course. The satellite-supported GPS system is shielded against attempts to jam it. With what is known as terrain reference navigation, Taurus scans the ground and compares the images with previously stored data.

With image sensors, Taurus can use bridges, rivers or crossroads for orientation. And Taurus determines its position by constantly measuring its own movement.

Against what targets is "Taurus" used?

"Taurus" is used against what the German Air Force refers to as "high-value targets," which would include bunkers or command posts from which enemy troops control operations. The missile is able to penetrate several reinforced concrete walls. When it reaches its target, the missile climbs steeply and then hits it from above in a vertical nosedive.

Before the actual warhead explodes, a charge blasts through the bunker's outer walls. This metal penetrator, weighing 400 kilograms (880 lbs), uses sensors to measure how much resistance it has to overcome. "Taurus" can penetrate several floors of a bunker before the actual warhead explodes.

How many Taurus could Germany deliver?

As many as 150-300 of the Bundeswehr's 600 Taurus could be ready for use quickly. Their unit price stands at around €1 million ($1.1 million). The Bundeswehr's Taurus are designed to be used with Tornado or Eurofighter 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.

How would the Ukrainian army use the Taurus?

Ukraine could use Taurus missiles against Russian positions far behind the front line, destroying supply routes and command centres or hitting targets in Russian-occupied Crimea.

Ukraine has already been promised similar weapons, such as the "Storm Shadow" from the UK and "Scalp" cruise missiles from France, but these have a shorter range.

It is possible that Germany may technically limit the range of the Taurus before it is delivered. The government in Berlin has been reluctant to provide Ukraine with weapons that could attack targets on Russian territory, fearing a further escalation of the war.

Moscow has repeatedly warned against the delivery of weapon systems such as the Taurus or the US ATACMS to Ukraine. Although it already uses long-range missiles to attack Ukrainian cities.