What is Taurus Missile?

Taurus KEPD-350 Latest News

Sweden has taken a key step in strengthening its air force’s long-range strike capabilities by selecting the Taurus KEPD-350 air-launched cruise missile for integration with its Gripen fighter jets. 

About Taurus KEPD-350

• It is a modular, air-launched, long-range, precision-guided cruise missile.
• It is designed and produced by Taurus Systems GmbH, a joint venture between Germany’s MBDA Deutschland GmbH and Sweden’s Saab Bofors Dynamics.
• It can penetrate through dense air defence systems and destroy the hard and deeply buried stationary and semi-stationary military targets on ground.
• The missile entered operational service in 2005.
• The missile is used by air forces in Germany, Spain, and South Korea, among others.

Taurus KEPD-350 Features

• Measuring 5 meters in length and with a wingspan of 2.1 meters, the missile weighs approximately 1,400 kilograms.
• It has a range of more than 500 km.
• It is powered by a turbofan engine, which provides the missile with a cruise speed of about Mach 0.6 to 0.95 at very low altitudes. 
• The missile is made of modular sections which can be configured based on the individual missions.
• Its electronic systems are also modular.
• It is suitable for day and night and all-weather deployment. 
• Navigation of the missile is controlled through the Tri-Tec navigation system. 
• It combines data from an inertial navigation system (INS), MIL-global positioning system (GPS), terrain reference navigation (TRN), and infrared seeker based image based navigation (IBN) sensors.

Taurus KEPD-350 FAQs

Q1. What is the range of the Taurus KEPD-350 missile?

Ans. It has a range of more than 500 km.

Q2. What is a Cruise Missile?

Ans. It is a type of low-flying strategic guided missile.

Q3. Which is the fastest cruise missile in the world?

Ans. The fastest cruise missile in the world is the BrahMos, which can reach speeds of Mach 3.5.

Source: ET