German parliament is planning to vote on a bill greenlighting the supply of Taurus KEPD 350 air-launched cruise missiles to Ukraine, a weapon that can significantly increase Ukraine's capability to launch long-range strikes against russian stationary targets in the rear, alongside Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG missiles of a similar type.
Against this background, there was a denied attempt to fast-track the transfer by one of the Bundestag's parties, which caused resonance in Ukrainian media. It was a misunderstanding, as explained by Yehor Cherniev, Deputy Chair of the Ukrainian parliamentary committee on security, defense, and intelligence policies.
Read more: Capabilities of the German Taurus Missile and Prospects of its Production in Ukraine
"It was a separate bill by part of the opposition that they wanted to put to a vote without the consent of others. The bill was rejected not because of contents but because of the violation of procedure," he answered to a backlash that Bundetag allegedly refused to give Taurus to Ukraine.
The more interesting detail, however, is a nuance he shared in the comment section of his post: Cherniev learned from his German colleagues that the missile won't be artificially limited in terms of operational range.
The context of this issue stems from reported considerations among German politicians that they should put a cap on Taurus' attack range so it cannot be used for strikes on targets within russian territory.
"Such ideas were put forward as a compromise but currently have not found support," Yehor Cherniev wrote, referring to his acquaintances in Bundestag.
For a reminder, the normal range of the Taurus KEPD 350E cruise missile is 500 km.
Earlier Defense Express reported that, according to MBDA Deutschland CEO Joachim Knopf, a necessary adaptation of Taurus so it becomes compatible with the Ukrainian Su-24M bomber would take up to six months once started, and same works to integrate the missile with the F-16 multirole fighter would require 1.5 years in his estimate. Therefore, if the bill coming up on vote later this week is approved, Ukraine will be able to get Taurus in the summer of 2024.
A brief overview of how Ukraine was "fighting" for the green light of Taurus supply for the whole last year, you can find in our "Top of 2023" article where Taurus is hailed as "the most scarce weapon of 2023."
Read more: What's So Special About Mirage-2000D Aircraft That Ukraine Wants Them to Complement Su-24M
