(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — The German government has declined to authorize the delivery of long-range “Taurus” cruise missiles to Ukraine, citing concerns that such an approval could potentially drag Germany into an overt conflict with Russia.
“These are deeply impactful weapons, and what has been done by Britain and France (through the provision of Storm Shadow and SCALP cruise missiles to Ukraine) cannot be replicated by Germany.
“Germany must not be associated with the capabilities of this weapon (Taurus if used in Ukraine). Therefore, its delivery is not on the agenda of the German government,” Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated to reporters in Berlin.
Scholz has decided against yielding to pressures from various quarters advocating for Germany to green-light the shipment of the “Taurus” long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine.
This stance marks a departure from the actions of the British and French governments, which have supplied “Storm Shadow” and “SCALP” cruise missiles to assist the Ukrainian military.
The Ukrainian forces have expressed a desire for the “Taurus” missiles to counter the advancement of Russian troops and to “sever” their supply routes.
Developed by a German/Swedish defense company, the “Taurus” long-range cruise missile is capable of striking targets up to 500km away with high precision.
Among the three types of long-range cruise missiles – “Taurus”, “Storm Shadow”, and “SCALP” – there is little to differentiate them in terms of overall weight, ranging from 1,300kg to 1,400kg, and their ability to hit targets up to 500km away.
However, the “Taurus” missile utilizes a “Programmable Intelligent Multi-Purpose Fuze (PIMPF)”, whereas the “Storm Shadow/SCALP” employs a Multi-Application Fuze Initiation System (MAFIS).
Military analysts suggest that the use of PIMPF by the German-manufactured “Taurus” missile enables more precise and effective targeting of structures like bridges, compared to the MAFIS used by the “Storm Shadow/SCALP” missiles.
Should Ukraine be supplied with the “Taurus” long-range cruise missiles by Germany, it would give Kyiv the capability to target the Kerch Bridge, which links Russia to the Russian-occupied Crimea.
Ukraine has targeted the Kerch Bridge, a vital logistic artery for Russian forces in Crimea, multiple times but has yet to succeed in destroying this crucial infrastructure.
This reluctance by Germany to supply Ukraine with the “Taurus” long-range cruise missiles stems from concerns over escalating the conflict.
Recently, Chancellor Scholz highlighted a scenario in which Ukrainian forces use German-made missiles to destroy bridges, portraying the spread of the Eastern European conflict.
He emphasized his responsibility as Chancellor to ensure that Germany does not become a party to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Moreover, all three types of long-range cruise missiles employ a “Terrain Contour Mapping System,” necessitating Germany to input data into the targeting system.
There are concerns that this could lead to direct German military assistance to Ukraine, thus directly involving the country in an open conflict with Russia.
Additionally, Berlin is apprehensive that the advanced cruise missile technology could fall into Russian hands, thereby exposing it. — DSA
(READ MORE ON TAURUS LONG-RANGE CRUISE MISSILE)