Pistorius on Taurus missiles for Ukraine: I don’t know where this erotic relationship with weapons comes from
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius commented on public discussions in the government about the possibility of providing Ukraine with long-range Taurus missiles.
This is reported by The Telegraph, Censor.NET informs.
"I don't know where this erotic relationship with weapons came from," Pistorius said, criticizing the emotionality of the discussions. He noted that no other country has such a public debate about specific types of weapons for Ukraine.
In response, former Ukrainian ambassador to Germany Andrii Melnyk said that "not only Germans love eroticism," alluding to the need for Taurus missiles for Ukrainian defense. He emphasized that Ukraine needs these missiles "like air" to effectively deter Russian aggression.
What is known about the Taurus cruise missile?
The Taurus cruise missile is a German-Swedish analog of the British-French Storm Shadow and Scalp cruise missiles.
It is about five meters long and weighs almost 1400 kilograms. The missile is equipped with an engine and several navigation systems that allow for autonomous low-level flights over enemy territory.
The Taurus can be launched by combat aircraft from a safe distance and engage and destroy targets at distances of up to 500 kilometers. Because cruise missiles fly particularly low and are relatively small, they are difficult to engage with enemy air defenses.
Advantages of Taurus over SCALP and Storm Shadow:
- a flight range that is twice as long - 500 km;
- radar equipment, which helps to use them in bad weather conditions;
- for the same reason, the missile's operation is not hindered even by smoke from targets.
The Taurus is a long-range guided cruise missile designed to attack air and ground targets over long distances. The shape of its warhead is designed to be able to penetrate concrete and heavy ground. These missiles are manufactured by Taurus Systems GmbH, a joint venture between LFK (now MBDA Deutschland GmbH) and Saab Bofors Dynamics AB.
As a reminder, the likely future chancellor of Germany, Friedrich Merz, has stated that he has always been ready to support the transfer of Taurus missiles to Ukraine, provided that these supplies are agreed upon with Germany's European partners.
