Spain expresses interest in Taurus NEO

After Germany, Spain has also declared its intention to purchase the new NEO version of the Taurus cruise missile.

It was the same German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius who confirmed the interest of his Spanish counterpart in the purchase of the Taurus NEOs, which are expected to arm the additional Eurofighters purchased by Spain.

The Taurus NEO

Compared to the current version, the Taurus NEO will feature improvements made by MBDA and Saab in range, low observability, attack precision with the adoption of a new type sensor, and in the effects of the explosive power of the warhead.

The adoption of advanced electronic countermeasures to evade adversary anti-air defenses is not ruled out.

In Germany, the Luftwaffe has planned the purchase of 600 Taurus NEOs to replace as many Taurus KEPD 350Es currently in service, with deliveries before the end of the current decade to arm the Eurofighters.

The Existing Taurus System

The current Taurus KEPD 350E in service with the Luftwaffe is a 1,400 kg, 5-meter long, air-surface cruise missile with a range of over 500 km (depending on altitude and chosen launch mode), equipped with a programmable multi-purpose fuse that allows the detonation of the penetrator at a preselected level within the target structure, using layer counting and void detection technologies.

The MEPHISTO warhead combines excellent penetration capabilities for high-value targets, hardened and deeply buried (HDBT), as well as fragmentation explosion capabilities against area targets.

The inertial navigation system (INS) is continuously supported by GPS updates and by image and terrain reference sensors. This security concept allows the missile to maintain the planned flight path even in the absence of permanent GPS availability and to accurately strike the designated target.

Photo credit @MBDA