Germany, along with other European countries, currently faces a critical shortage of long-range missile weapons. Therefore, Germany intends to resume production of its Taurus cruise missiles, but in a modernized variant called Taurus Neo.
It appears that the manufacturer, Taurus Systems GmbH, plans to invest around €400–500 million in production, particularly in materials with multi-year lead times, to enable an immediate start of mass production in the future. This was reported by Hartpunkt.
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The new Taurus Neo variant will undergo numerous changes, though its overall structure will remain the same. A key upgrade is replacing the P8300-15 turbofan engine, potentially boosting the missile's range by 15–20% with a more efficient alternative.
Plans to replace or upgrade the engine in the Taurus Neo had already been known. Initially, it was believed that the main focus would be on the Japanese variant.
The publication reports that its sources indicate greater priority is now being given to the German replacement, particularly the option from AeroDesignWorks GmbH (ADW).
On behalf of Defense Express, we would like to note that the engine replacement is crucial, since the Taurus's original P8300-15 engine was produced by the American company Williams. This means that both the engine and the missile fall under U.S. export restrictions.
In other words, Germany would need U.S. authorization to transfer the Taurus to Ukraine, and the Americans could simply refuse, considering their recent actions. A similar restriction applies to Japan, which is prohibited from supplying weapons or essential components to countries at war.
Therefore, choosing a German equivalent for the Taurus Neo would facilitate exports, make it entirely European, and may help cut production costs. However, the main reason why Germany has not yet transferred the Taurus to Ukraine remains their low quantity and lack of production.
A contributing factor is the missile's high price, with the new Taurus Neo variant anticipated to cost €3.5 million. At the same time, the first batches of the new Taurus Neo are not planned until 2029. Therefore, if Ukraine is to rely on the Taurus Neo, it will likely be only in the next decade, alongside the new JAS 39 Gripen and Rafale.
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