Germany denies Ukraine’s plea for Taurus missiles to help counter Russian air power

Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz reiterated that his country was against sending its Taurus missiles to Ukraine because it was trying to avoid any German weapon striking Russian territory, German media reported on Sunday.

He said in an interview with Germany's ARD television when asked about the potential supply of Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine: “We carefully review all requests we receive. But for us there is a principle that I share with the US president – we do not want the weapons we supply to be used to get into Russian territories.”

Early in June, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said in an interview with DW that Berlin rejected the concept of transferring Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine in the foreseeable future. He added that Berlin, like Washington, had always emphasized that they would not want their weapons used in Russian territory.

Ukraine had submitted in May a request for Germany’s air-launched cruise missiles, according to state news agency Ukrinform and the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung.

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Germany's Christian Democrats (CDU) defense expert Roderich Kiesewetter expressed support for the Ukrainian request stating that the Taurus missiles would enable Kyiv to “strike against the Russian military infrastructure far behind the front line,” as cited by German magazine Der Spiegel.

Kyiv has long been asking for weapons and jets to bolster its aerial defenses and begin air offensive operations against a crushing Russian superiority. The UK has already supplied Ukraine with Storm Shadow cruise missiles and France said it would supply the similar SCALP-EGs.

However, the Taurus KEPD 350, a German-Swedish missile, is a long-range air-to-surface missile renowned for its stand-off capability, enabling it to be fired from a safe distance without the launching aircraft entering hostile airspace. It can travel over a range of approximately 500 kilometers, carrying a 500kg dual-stage warhead which can effectively penetrate hardened targets. Its advanced stealth characteristics and high subsonic speed make it difficult for enemy defenses to intercept. The missile can operate in GPS-denied environments, thanks to its integrated navigation system, which employs an image comparison algorithm.

On the other hand, the Storm Shadow (UK) and the SCALP EG (France) are essentially the same missile – a conventionally armed, long-range, stand-off cruise missile developed by MBDA for the British and French armed forces. The Storm Shadow/SCALP EG boasts a range of over 560 kilometers and carries a two-stage 450kg warhead, offering an enhanced target penetration capability. Its Terrain Reference Navigation and Digital Scene Matching Area Correlation technology offer highly accurate targeting even in the absence of GPS.

As to how each will fair against Russian air defenses, then several facts need to be considered. Russian air defense systems, such as the S-400 and S-300, are among the most advanced in the world, and pose a significant challenge to any attacking missile. However, the Taurus KEPD 350, Storm Shadow, and SCALP EG are all designed with advanced technologies aimed at evading such defenses.

The Taurus KEPD 350, with its stealth technology, high subsonic speed, and low-level flight capability, can evade radar detection to a significant extent. Its advanced navigation system enables it to operate even in GPS-denied environments, increasing its effectiveness against sophisticated air defenses.

The Storm Shadow and SCALP EG, given their long-range stand-off capability, allow launch platforms to fire them from beyond the reach of most air defense systems, which lowers the risk of the launch aircraft being targeted. The missiles' low flight altitude and stealth features make them harder to detect. Their sophisticated navigation systems provide high accuracy, even in GPS-denied environments.

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