Germany to Increase its Arsenal of Taurus Cruise Missiles

The German Armed Forces are preparing to acquire additional Taurus cruise missiles. The contract for their purchase is planned to be signed in the coming months.

This was reported by Hartpunkt, citing its own sources.

The German Federal Ministry of Defense refused to officially confirm this information.

When asked by journalists whether there are plans to meet the army’s need for additional Taurus missiles in the near future, the Defense Ministry spokesman said:

“We will provide information on the Bundeswehr’s procurement plans after parliamentary consultations. Please understand that for reasons of operational security, we cannot disclose internal planning details.”

According to the manufacturer, the 1.4-ton Taurus missile has a range of over 500 km.

It is equipped with a warhead weighing about 450 kg, containing about 100 kg of explosives.

According to open sources, the Bundeswehr has previously purchased a total of about 600 of these missiles.

Germany plans to keep them in service until at least the mid-2040s.

At the end of 2024, the Bundeswehr Procurement Office (BAAINBw) signed a contract with Taurus Systems GmbH, a joint venture between MBDA Deutschland and Saab, for the maintenance and modernization of these weapons.

The purpose of the agreement is to ensure the operational readiness of Taurus cruise missiles until at least 2045.

The German government has long been discussing the transfer of these missiles to Ukraine. In April, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz confirmed his readiness to provide Ukraine with Taurus cruise missiles, but under certain conditions. However, the missiles have not yet been delivered.