On May 12 local time, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz German's government decided not to publicly announce details of the handover of this type of weapon, saying the Taurus' influence was "excessively inflated".
The Taurus KEPD 350 missile was developed by Taurus systems - a joint venture between MBDA Germany and Saab Bofors Dynamics Sweden. This is one of the most advanced cruise missile systems today, designed to attack high-value and solid targets from long distances, overcoming dense air defense systems thanks to the ability to fly to the ground at very low altitudes.
One of the highlights of the Taurus is the two-phase warhead, which can seep through solid targets such as deep buttocks or solidly reinforced structures, while causing widespread explosive damage to large targets.
The multi-purpose smart detonation system, precisely programmed, allows warheads to detonate at pre-elected target levels using layer counting and vacuum sense technology - a unique feature in the world today.
Taurus is also equipped with a special navigation system including inactivity (INS), GPS, image sensor and terrain coordinate sensor, allowing the missile to maintain its trajectory even when losing its GPS signal, ensuring high accuracy and maximum protection against disturbances.
Technically, the Taurus has a range of more than 500km, weighs 1,400kg and is 5 meters long. The bullet weighs 480kg. The missile is currently deployed on German Air Force tornado IDS aircraft, Spanish EF-18, and South Korean F-15K.
Taurus can easily integrate with other fighter jets such as Typhoons, JAS39 Gripen, F-16 and F-35, and has the potential to deploy from ground or warships.
Although Prime Minister Merz has publicly supported the transfer of Taurus to Ukraine, his government has kept the information confidential to avoid revealing too much to the Russian side, similar to the view of French President Emmanuel Macron.
Despite the public debate, Germany continues to provide military assistance to Ukraine, including long-range weapons, but has refused to disclose the specific type of weapons or the time of transfer.
According to a new survey in Germany, about 65% of people still object to the supply of Taurus to Ukraine, reflecting Berlin's cautious stance on foreign policy.
