Germany plans to acquire new Taurus missiles for its army - Spiegel
Photo: Boris Pistorius, Minister of Defense of Germany (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Germany plans to equip its army with a new model of long-range Taurus cruise missiles. However, funding may be insufficient, according to Spiegel.
As the agency reports, the issue was raised by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius. The Ministry of Defense has already submitted a project to the budget committee in confidential budget documents for 2025.
From a military perspective, it would be reasonable for Germany to order 600 Taurus Neo cruise missiles at a cost of approximately 2.1 billion euros. The first missiles could be delivered in 2029.
However, due to a lack of funds, the project has only been included as an option in the individual plan of the Ministry of Defense. To launch the project, the Ministry will need around 350 million euros in 2025, with most of the expenses for the high-tech weapons to be incurred no earlier than 2029.
Spiegel points out that the Bundeswehr currently has about 600 units of the older Taurus model.
It is worth noting that the specifications for the Taurus Neo missile are not publicly available.
Taurus for Ukraine
Ukraine has repeatedly requested Germany to transfer long-range Taurus missiles capable of striking targets up to 500 kilometers away.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz opposed such deliveries. Just yesterday, on October 24, he reiterated that supplying Taurus could lead to an escalation of the conflict.
Meanwhile, German Chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz supported the idea of providing Ukraine with German missiles, but under certain conditions.
