The sudden shift in German policy toward Ukraine reflects the radically changing situation in the ongoing war.
Now that the Europeans are more committed to their own collective defense than at any other time, there is talk that the new German Chancellor Friedrich Merz intends to do that which previous German governments refused: give the Ukrainians their vaunted Taurus KEPD-350 (Kinetic Energy Penetration and Destruction) long-range missile.
This is a key development in the ongoing Ukraine War because the Taurus missile is widely understood to be the cornerstone of Germany’s defense system. It is their most important weapon, and giving even a small number to Ukraine represents a commitment to escalate Germany’s role in the war and antagonize Russia.
Back in 1998, the German Ministry of Defense contracted Taurus Systems to develop the KEPD-350, building on technologies from earlier European missile projects. When Germany commissioned the weapon, their leaders sought a standoff weapon to enhance its deep-strike capabilities without relying solely on American-made systems (such as the AGM-158 JASSM).
All About the Taurus Missile
Taurus is a stealthy, terrain-hugging cruise missile designed to penetrate dense air defenses and destroy high-value targets such as bunkers, bridges, and command centers at extended ranges. First deliveries to the German Luftwaffe began in 2005, with 600 missiles delivered. These were meant to be fired from Germany’s fleet of Tornado IDS and, later, Eurofighter Typhoon jets. Export sales soon followed, with Spain acquiring 43 for its fleet and South Korea acquiring 267 for its fleet of F-15s between 2016 and 2020.
Taurus missiles are powered by a Williams P8300-15 turbofan engine, cruising at Mach 0.95 (or about 727 miles per hour). Its official range exceeds 310 miles, and it can fly as low as 115 feet above terrain. Crucially, the missile’s radar cross-section is minimized, making it nearly invisible to most air defenses.
The Taurus missile’s standout feature, however, is the 1,060-pound dual-stage MEPHISTO warhead. The first stage penetrates hardened targets using a shaped charge, while the second delivers a blast-fragmentation effect, programmable via a “smart” multi-purpose fuse. This fuse uses layer-counting and void-sensing technology, allowing detonation at a preselected depth or floor within a structure. The second stage includes a high-explosive blast-fragmentation charge that detonates inside or near the target to maximize destruction.
The missile’s navigation relies on a quadruple-redundant system: inertial navigation system (INS), Global Positioning System (with anti-jamming in export variants), terrain-referenced navigation (TRN), and image-based correlation. Together, these systems ensure accuracy, even in contested environments and with electronic warfare countermeasures.
Germany’s Strategic Context
Transfers of advanced NATO missiles to Ukraine are not new. The United States grudgingly donated HIMARS missiles to Kyiv under the Biden administration, while the United Kingdom gave Ukraine their “Storm Shadow” long-range strike missile, which is often compared with the Taurus. But the German system is technically superior to the British one. Taurus offers superior reach and a more advanced fuse, though it shares a subsonic profile that prioritizes stealth over speed.
Germany’s Taurus has been at the heart of a contentious debate involving the Ukraine War. Back in 2023, Ukraine requested the missile to bolster its long-range strike options against Russian logistics, depots, and infrastructure—notably the Kerch Bridge linking Russia to Crimea, which is symbolic of the peninsula’s annexation and has come under repeated attack.
Because of the Taurus’ extended range and its bunker-busting power, Ukraine understandably sees this missile as essential to their ongoing war against Russia. During his time as Germany’s leader, Chancellor Olaf Scholz refused to give the missile over to Ukraine, fearing that if he did, the Russians would conduct reprisals against Germany and Berlin would be dragged further into the Ukraine War.
Germany has around 600 Taurus missiles in its arsenal, with estimates suggesting that 150-300 are operational, with others in need of upgrading. Incoming Chancellor Friedrich Merz believes that active production lines could replenish these stocks.
“Taurus Neo”: The Missile’s Upgrade Package
Last year, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced plans for the “Taurus Neo,” an upgraded variant of the Taurus missile system. The Neo promises enhanced range, a more powerful warhead, and improved guidance, ensuring relevance into the 2040s.
This follows a 2025-35 modernization contract with MBDA and Saab to extend the Taurus’ life to 2045, reflecting Berlin’s intent to maintain its deep-strike edge amid rising Russian and Chinese threats.
The sudden shift in German policy toward Ukraine reflects the radically changing situation in the ongoing war. The Ukrainians have been waging a slowly losing war for some time. But NATO-provided arms and funding kept them in the fight longer than they otherwise would have been. The advent of the second Trump administration in the United States and the general souring of transatlantic ties have led to diminishing U.S. support for the Ukrainians. This has forced European states, most notably Germany, to step in and attempt to fill in the gap created by the loss of American support for the war.
About the Author: Brandon J. Weichert
Brandon J. Weichert, a Senior National Security Editor at The National Interest as well as a contributor at Popular Mechanics, who consults regularly with various government institutions and private organizations on geopolitical issues. Weichert’s writings have appeared in multiple publications, including the Washington Times, National Review, The American Spectator, MSN, the Asia Times, and countless others. His books include Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His newest book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine is available for purchase wherever books are sold. He can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.
Image: Shutterstock / Sergey Kohl.
