Ukrainian soldiers can master Taurus missiles in three months – arms manufacturer
TAURUS KEPD 350 cruise missile. Photo: Saab
Ukrainian soldiers can be trained to use long-range Taurus missiles in three months if their supply to Kyiv is approved.
BILD reported the timeline, citing the arms manufacturing company MBDA.
According to reports, the long-term training of the Ukrainian military and specialists who have to program the targets of the missiles are the key obstacles to the supply of long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine.
"The manufacturer MBDA expects approximately three months to acquaint the Ukrainian military with the weapon system," the company said.
The programming of the Taurus targets must take place in Ukraine, so it is unlikely that Bundeswehr soldiers will do it for political reasons. This means that even more time will pass before the Ukrainian army can deploy the missiles, even if the exercises are accelerated.
The publication assumes that the intermediate solution could be to involve specialists who don't belong to the Bundeswehr or the German authorities but who'll program the targets in Ukraine.
Markus Faber, a Bundestag member from the Free Democratic Party, criticized the government, pointing out that Kyiv sent the first request for missiles more than four months ago and that time could have been used to successfully complete the training.
"The chancellor's (Olaf Scholz's) arguments regarding delay now have no force. Common sense dictates that the Taurus must be delivered (to Ukraine) immediately," he urged.
The German government has discussed possibly supplying Ukraine with long-range Taurus cruise missiles for several months.
Earlier, Germany said that it would coordinate all arms deliveries with the US and also expressed concern that the missiles could be used to strike Russian territory. The US will probably send long-range ATACMS missiles to Kyiv, possibly affecting Berlin's position.
Back in September, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that a decision on the transfer could be made within one to two weeks.
What we know about Taurus missiles
Taurus long-range missiles. Photo: Wikipedia
Taurus is a German analog of the British Storm Shadow missiles, which are already successfully used by the Ukrainian forces. The Taurus cruise missile is launched from a fighter jet and can deliver a 400-kilogram warhead over 500 kilometers. The missile is considered an effective weapon against protected targets such as command bunkers or ammunition depots.
In the early 2000s, Germany ordered 600 Taurus missiles for its air force. However, according to German media, the Bundeswehr currently only has 150 combat-ready Tauruses.
TAURUS KEPD 350. Photo: South Korean Defense Ministry via Getty Images
Taurus cruise missiles and the Franco-British Storm Shadow, which Ukraine already uses, will allow striking Russian military infrastructure in the occupied territory at long distances.
In May, Ukraine turned to Germany with an official request to provide it with long-range Taurus cruise missiles. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke on this topic with Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
As Rubryka reported, German politicians are gradually changing their perspective on transferring long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine.
