Sweden gets German Taurus missiles previously requested by Ukraine
JAS 39E Gripen equipped with a Taurus missile (photo: Taurus Systems)
Sweden's armed forces have received a batch of Taurus cruise missiles from German military stockpiles. The exact number of missiles transferred remains classified, according to Hartpunkt.
Taurus missiles for Ukraine
In late August 2026, the Swedish Armed Forces reportedly tested a Taurus cruise missile developed by Taurus Systems GmbH, a joint venture between MBDA Deutschland and Saab, launched from a Gripen C fighter jet.
The Swedish Air Force released a 14-second video showing a Taurus missile being launched from a Gripen C aircraft.
Labels on the launched missile indicated that it was equipped with a warhead. This prompted experts to speculate about the origin of the missile used in the tests.
Since the original version of the Taurus is no longer in production, observers suggested that Sweden had likely received the missiles from another country. Besides Germany, Spain and South Korea also operate these missiles.
It remains unclear whether the Swedish Armed Forces received only the number of Taurus missiles needed for integration work or enough for full operational deployment. In addition to the missiles themselves, their use also requires a mission-planning system that allows relevant geospatial data to be loaded into the missile before launch.
Based on open-source data, between 2005 and 2010, the German Armed Forces purchased 600 Taurus missiles to equip their Tornado fighter jets. Since then, the German Air Force has conducted several test launches using this weapons system. The cruise missile is expected to remain in service with the German Air Force until the mid-2040s.
As previously reported, in March, Merz said he no longer saw a reason to supply Ukraine with Taurus missiles because he believed Ukrainian weapons were more effective.
Notably, while in opposition, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz repeatedly said he intended to provide Ukraine with Taurus cruise missiles for strikes against Russian territory.
After taking office, Merz did not change his position. In particular, last July, the German chancellor did not rule out supplying Ukraine with these weapons.
Late last year, members of the German parliament called on Merz to deliver long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine, arguing that the chancellor should honor the commitments he had rightly demanded while in opposition.
