How many Taurus missiles and what range Ukraine could receive: Expert explains
Photo: An expert explains how many Taurus missiles Ukraine can receive (Getty Images)
In the case of a possible transfer of Taurus missiles to Ukraine, several factors could influence both the quantity and the range of the missiles, said military expert Ivan Stupak in a commentary to the RBC-Ukrain YouTube channel.
The issue of Taurus quantity
As the expert noted, the Taurus manufacturing company operates on a made-to-order basis, which means they do not keep surplus missiles in stock.
“There’s no such thing as them working, stockpiling, and then, when the government says ‘we need some,’ the company sells them. No, there’s a government order for 500 units, they produce 500 and get funding for it. They won’t make the 501st. That’s one aspect,” the expert said.
The issue of Taurus range
Another nuance is an informal agreement between 35 countries, including Ukraine and Germany. The agreement obliges each participant not to transfer missile weapons to other countries that have a range greater than 300 kilometers and an explosive payload exceeding 500 kg.
"ATACMS has a range of 500 km. But we received the 300 km version. Long-range Storm Shadow? We got the 250 km one. So, there is a high probability that we could receive an export version of the German Taurus missiles with a range of 299 km,” he explained.
Transfer of Taurus to Ukraine
Germany's future chancellor Friedrich Merz stated he is ready to approve the transfer of long-range Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine. It's worth noting that the current chancellor Olaf Scholz, who is soon leaving office, had previously spoken in favor of providing these missiles.
Moreover, Merz not only expressed readiness to deliver these missiles but also suggested that Ukraine could use them to strike the Crimean Bridge.
