The Taurus KEPD 350 is a modular, air-launched long-range, precision-guided cruise missile designed and produced by Taurus Systems GmbH, a joint venture between Germany’s MBDA Deutschland GmbH and Sweden’s Saab Bofors Dynamics. Engineered for modern precision strikes, the Taurus is optimized to neutralize heavily fortified and high-value targets while ensuring high survivability for the aircraft and crew deploying it. The missile is used by air forces in Germany, Spain, and South Korea, among others.
Country users: Germany, Spain, and South Korea.
Technical Data
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Design
The Taurus KEPD 350 features a streamlined design optimized for low-observability and aerodynamic efficiency. Measuring 5 meters in length and with a wingspan of 2.1 meters, the missile weighs approximately 1,400 kilograms. Its sleek, tapered fuselage is constructed from a combination of lightweight alloys and carbon-fiber composites, which enhance structural durability while reducing weight. The missile’s folding, mid-body wings deploy after launch to provide lift and stability, while its small rear-mounted control fins ensure precise maneuverability. The modular construction allows for future upgrades and easy integration into diverse aircraft platforms.
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Warhead
The Taurus employs the Two-stage tandem MEPHISTO penetrator warhead, weighing 481 kilograms, which is specifically designed for maximum effectiveness against both hardened and soft targets. The first stage, or pre-charge, creates a breach in the target’s outer defenses, such as reinforced concrete or armor. The second stage, comprising a high-energy explosive main charge, penetrates deeply into the structure before detonating, ensuring the destruction of internal components.
What sets the MEPHISTO warhead apart is its layer-counting and void-sensing technology, which enables precise detonation at predetermined levels within the target structure. This capability allows the warhead to navigate through intermediate layers, such as floors or protective barriers, to detonate at an optimal point for maximum damage. This dual-purpose system makes the Taurus highly effective against hardened and deeply buried targets (HDBTs) while retaining the flexibility to engage area targets using blast-fragmentation effects.
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Propulsion
Powered by the Williams F121-WR-100 turbofan engine, the Taurus KEPD 350 achieves subsonic speeds between Mach 0.8 and 0.9. The missile’s propulsion system runs on JP-8 jet fuel, which is widely used in military aviation, ensuring logistical compatibility and efficiency. With an operational range exceeding 500 kilometers, the missile enables standoff strike missions from a safe distance, protecting both the aircraft and crew from enemy defenses.
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Guidance Systems
The Taurus KEPD 350 is equipped with an advanced multi-mode navigation and guidance system designed to ensure precision and reliability. Its inertial navigation system (INS) provides a stable midcourse trajectory, while the integrated GPS delivers precise geolocation for targeting. The missile’s terrain-referenced navigation (TRN) system uses a detailed digital terrain database to maintain low-altitude, terrain-following flight, enabling it to evade enemy radar and air defenses. An infrared seeker in the terminal guidance phase ensures accurate identification and engagement of the intended target, even in challenging environments or in the presence of GPS jamming.
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Combat Use
The Taurus KEPD 350 is compatible with a range of modern aircraft, including the Tornado IDS, Eurofighter Typhoon, F/A-18 Hornet, and F-15K Strike Eagle. Its adaptability extends to other platforms such as the F-35 Lightning II, JAS 39 Gripen, and F-16 Fighting Falcon. The missile is launched from an altitude range of 30 meters to 16,000 meters, providing significant operational flexibility. With a standoff range exceeding 500 kilometers, the Taurus allows strike aircraft to engage targets while remaining well outside the reach of hostile air defenses.
Its primary missions include precision strikes against high-value, hardened, and deeply buried targets, as well as infrastructure critical to enemy operations. This combination of stealthy design, long range, and precise guidance ensures the Taurus KEPD 350's effectiveness in both preemptive and retaliatory operations in high-threat environments.
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