The Taurus
KEPD 350 stand-off weapon system is a joint venture between LFK GmbH (LFK) and Saab Bofors Dynamics AB (SBD).
During the ILA Airshow in Berlin in May, the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) announced that it would purchase 600 Taurus
KEPD 350 air-launched cruise missiles with the Mephisto penetration warhead.
The Taurus
KEPD 350 precision standoff guided missile was tested in Overberg, South Africa to the satisfaction of the German Air Force, the Wehrtechnische Dienststelle 61 and Taurus Systems.
* The German Federal Office for Defense Technology and Procurement (BWB) awarded a contract in July worth over $560 million to Taurus Systems GmbH (Schrobenhausen, Germany) for 600 Taurus
KEPD 350 stand-off land attack missiles, as well as production and logistical support.
For example, air-to-ground missiles to be cleared for tranche two include the new MBDA Brimstone anti-armour missile with millimetre-wave radar guidance, and both the MBDA Storm Shadow and the Taurus
KEPD 350 cruise missiles (assuming that Germany proceeds with the latter programme).
Eads Germany is teamed with Bofors on the Taurus cruise missile series, which includes a ship-launched
KEPD 150-SLM.
The Swedish Air Force is considering clearance of the
Kepd 150 stand-off air-to-ground missile, the Iris-T short-range air-to-air missile, the ram-jet-powered medium-range air-to-air Meteor, the Brimstone air-to-ground anti-armour missile and America's Jdam and Jsow.
Although the MBD Storm Shadow was awarded the British contract for an air launched cruise missile, there were claims that the technical winner had been the
KEPD 350 Taurus.
The Taurus
KEPD 350 missile was released from a German Air Force Tornado in late 2000 and completed its second free-flight test.