Taurus (cruise missile)

Taurus KEPD-350
General Information
Type	Cruise missiles
Manufacturer	Taurus Systems GmbH
development	1998-2004
Commissioning	2005
Unit price	€ 950,000
Technical specifications
length	5100 mm
diameter	1080 mm
Combat weight	1360 kg
span	2064 mm
drive	Turbofan Williams P8300-15
speed	Mach 0.6-0.95
Range	> 500 km
Furnishing
Target location	imaging infrared
Warhead	"Mephisto" 495 kg, including 113 kg explosives
Weapon platforms	• Panavia Tornado; • F-15K; • F / A-18 Hornet; • Eurofighter (planned) ; • Saab 39 Gripen (planned)
Lists on the subject

The Taurus is a modern air-to-surface cruise missile for long distances. The name is an abbreviation for T arget A daptive U nitary and Dispenser R obotic U biquity S ystem . It was developed as a modular stand-off weapon (MAW) for various payloads and missions. The cruise missile is the German - Swedish counterpart to the British - French Storm Shadow, which was developed in parallel .

history

During the Cold War, the Federal Republic originally wanted to procure the French Apache in order to be able to destroy the Warsaw Pact runways in the event of a war . With the fall of the wall, the priorities changed, which now lay on combating armored point targets. The ongoing negotiations between Germany and France about a further development of the Apache ultimately failed because of France. The reduction in the Apache orders and the delay in the development of a point target weapon would have meant an increase in costs for the Federal Republic, which is why it withdrew from the Apache development.

In the 1997 Bundeswehr Plan, the development of a family of modular distance weapons (MAW) for the Panavia Tornado was identified. It was planned to procure a total of 1200 weapons for various tasks to combat ground targets . According to the needs of the Air Force, the weapon system family should be able to effectively combat a wide range of point or area targets.

Taurus KEPD 350 cruise missile under a Eurofighter Typhoon

At the same time, DASA and Bofors developed the sliding dispenser DWS-24, which was later referred to as DWS-39, to illustrate the proximity to the Saab 39 . Based on this, both companies proposed a version with a turbojet and a single or tandem warhead , which was designated as the Kinetic Energy Penetrator and Destroyer (KEPD) 350. In 1996 other versions were offered, a lighter KEPD 150 and a version with submunitions MAW PDWS 2000. On March 31, 1998 the Federal Ministry of Defense announced the financing of the development and the construction of 28 prototypes. A version with submunition should be developed (Taurus 350A), another with a penetration warhead (Taurus 350P). The weapon should also meet the requirements of the British for a Conventionally Armed Stand Off Missile (CASOM), and the weapon was advertised as TAURUS. Even after the British opted for the Storm Shadow based on Apache, the name was retained and the development company Taurus Systems GmbH was named after it. This company was founded by the then LFK-Lenkflugkörpersysteme GmbH (since May 2012 MBDA Deutschland GmbH ) and Saab Bofors Dynamics AB specifically for the realization of the Taurus KEPD-350 and any other variants.

The development work then proceeded very quickly: Since lifting tests on a Panavia Tornado of the Air Force had already taken place in 1996, two years before the contract was signed, the first flight of the system was able to take place on October 4, 1999 in the Swedish test area Vidsel . In September 2000, the system was tested in several flights in South Africa , and the function of the navigation systems was proven. At the same time, the "MEPHISTO" warhead was tested against concrete targets. On August 8, 2002, the Federal Office for Defense Technology and Procurement placed the order with Taurus Systems GmbH for the series preparation of the missiles. The verification for the German Air Force was carried out by the Wehrtechnischen Dienststelle 61 (WTD 61) and took place on March 15 and 18, 2004 in the Overberg Test Range in South Africa. The new versions of the Taurus weapon system were unveiled at the 2005 Paris Air Show. The original A and P designations are practically no longer used.

In 2005 the Bundeswehr ordered 600 missiles at a total price of 570 million euros . The delivery to the Air Force officially began with the handover of the first missile to Fighter Bomber Wing 33 in Büchel on December 21, 2005 and was completed in November 2010. The wearing tests with the Saab 39 Gripen took place in May 2008, followed by the wearing tests on the Eurofighter at Jagdgeschwader 74 in February 2009 and January 2014 . The integration into the Spanish McDonnell Douglas F / A-18 was successfully completed in June 2009.

concept

A TacTom accompanied by a Tomcat

Cruise missiles ( . Engl cruise missiles ) have advantages over manned aircraft advantages: You only need to simply travel the distance to the target and are small, making it difficult to discover and interception. Combat is also made more difficult by flying under the radar . Since cruise missiles used to be very expensive and relatively imprecise, they were usually equipped with nuclear warheads. For example, the AGM-28 Hound Dog had a scattering circle radius (CEP) of 3.7 km. This improved in the course of development, the first BGM-109 Tomahawk missiles from 1980, for example, had a CEP of 80 m, which still required a nuclear warhead. It was only in the 1990s that the technology could be improved to such an extent that conventionally equipped cruise missiles could be built in large numbers with sufficient precision and reasonable costs.

Cruise missiles are used against strategic enemy facilities such as airfields, command posts , industrial facilities and ports. These goals are strongly defended in the event of war, but stationary. In order to expand the possible uses, attempts are being made to use cruise missiles to combat mobile targets such as ships or tank formations over very long distances. Furthermore, the increasing mobility of the enemy air defense, for example through gate systems (Nato Code: SA-15 Gauntlet) , creates problems. Whereas in the past specialized cruise missiles such as the AGM-136 Tacit Rainbow were developed, the most modern missiles such as the Tactical Tomahawk are equipped with a 2-way satellite connection in order to be able to carry out target updates and course corrections. The data link makes it possible to fly around anti-aircraft positions discovered by the reconnaissance, to attack a mobile target, to switch to alternative targets or to carry out a hit analysis by sending the last viewfinder image.

With the increasing spread of anti-satellite missiles (or the ability to develop them) and powerful GPS jammers , the focus is also shifting to the ability to enable precise navigation over long distances without a global navigation satellite system . This was not only a focus of development on the Taurus, but also on the Long Range Anti-Ship Missile .

technology

Taurus in the transport frame

The Taurus is a modular cruise missile that can be delivered with various payloads. The basic shape was taken from the ammunition dispenser DWS-39. The approximately 5 meter long fuselage is made of precision cast aluminum and has a rectangular structure. On the top there are two fold-out wings, for control there is an X-tail unit at the rear. The pitot inlets of the engine are rigidly attached to the left and right of the fuselage.

As with every cruise missile, the front area contains the navigation system, which enables autonomous low-level flight through enemy territory. The navigation system developed for the Taurus consists of a GPS receiver, an inertial navigation system ( Engl. Inertial navigation system, INS ), a terrain reference navigation ( Engl. Terrain Reference Navigation, TRN ) and an image processing navigation system ( Engl. Image Based Navigation, IBN ). The twelve-channel, P-code working GPS receiver was shielded against attempts at interference ( anti-jamming, AJ ) and is usually used for navigation. If this is too imprecise or not available, the positioning is based on the Tri-Tec navigation system. The inertial navigation system consists of fiber optic gyros and is manufactured by Northrop Grumman LITEF . To correct the data, a radar altimeter in the K _u band measures the height profile of the area flown over and continuously compares this with the previously stored terrain data of the target flight path in order to calculate a course correction. Since the terrain reference navigation can basically only provide usable navigation data over sufficiently profiled terrain, the Taurus has an additional system for navigation support with the image processing navigation. Between five and ten navigation update points are determined for the flight path, the simplified signatures of which are stored in the on-board computer. When flying over the update points, the infrared seeker searches for the previously stored structures and measures their position in space. A course correction is then calculated using a comparison calculation between the target and measured position.

The infrared viewfinder consists of a focal plane array made of indium antimonide with a resolution of 256 × 256 pixels. When the missile arrives in the target area, the IR seeker searches for the target and locks it on. If several targets are to be discovered and attacked, the viewfinder measures their position in space, and the weapon computer determines the optimal time for triggering the payload. This is located in the middle of the fuselage directly behind the viewfinder. The operator can choose between five different attack modes, depending on the target and variant:

Pop-up: The missile flies low, goes into a climb and then performs a vertical dive on the target. Used against bunkers, for example.
Low level pop-up: The missile flies low, goes into a climb and hits the target at an angle from above. Used, for example, against hardened aircraft shelters , bridges or ships in port.
Dive Attack: The Taurus flies to the target area at a great height and then goes into a diagonal dive. Same target spectrum as with the Low Level Pop-Up , but more penetrative power and less survivability.
Air Burst: The target area is approached at low altitude. Shortly before the target, the missile goes to a greater cruising altitude parallel to the ground and releases the payload above the target. Used against troop gatherings.
Horizontal "Cave Type": The Taurus flies to the target area at a low altitude. Shortly before the target, the missile goes into an extremely low flight flat above the ground and hits the target. Used against aircraft caverns or the like.

The drive comes a turbofan ( turbofan ) P8300-15 of Williams International used. It develops around 6.67 kN of thrust near the ground and accelerates the cruise missile to a speed of Mach 0.6 to Mach 0.95. The engine thus develops significantly more thrust than the Williams F107-WR-402 of the BGM-109 Tomahawk with 3.1 kN. The better thrust-to-weight ratio enables a harder contour flight , as tighter turns and larger angles of climb can be achieved, which makes catching more difficult. The fuel tanks are located on either side of the payload between the viewfinder and the engine. In order to improve survivability, an " active self-defense ability " and a 2-way data link can be added as an option . The 2-way data link can also be used to combat moving targets such as ships or tank units, and a picture of the target can also be transmitted in order to carry out a damage analysis ( battle damage indication ).

variants

The only serial version at the moment is the KEPD-350 variant. Based on this model, a family of cruise missiles was proposed by Taurus Systems GmbH. The following versions were presented at the Paris Air Show 2005. In a PDF presentation by the manufacturer from 2008, a distinction is also made between the “M” and “MP” versions. However, it is unclear whether these variants will be realized.

Taurus KEPD-350

The laser rangefinder above the infrared finder

The Taurus KEPD-350 "Kinetic Energy Penetrator and Destroyer" carries the MEPHISTO (Multi-Effect Penetrator High Sophisticated and Target Optimized) warhead. It is a tandem warhead, consisting of a pre-hollow charge and the penetrator with an integrated intelligent detonator. Two laser range finders measure the distance to the target and trigger the pre-hollow charge at the optimal distance from the target. It weighs around 95 kg, is almost 0.36 m in diameter and 0.53 m in length. The shaped charge spike penetrates the target to make it easier for the penetrator to penetrate. This has about the same diameter as the pre-hollow charge, a length of almost 2.3 meters and a mass of 400 kg. At its stern is the intelligent PIMPF (Programmable Intelligent Multi Purpose Fuze), which is also used in the Naval Strike Missile . It has a delay sensor that can determine the passage through media of different densities. Based on the measured delay, it can be calculated at which point on the target the penetrator is currently located. By pre-programming it is therefore possible to have the penetrator explode at the desired position in the target, for example on a certain floor. PIMPF weighs 5 kg, can withstand acceleration forces of up to 10,000 g and is powered by a lithium-ion battery .

When approaching in an air burst , the pre-hollow charge can be ignited first because it is surrounded by a fragmentation jacket. Due to its inertia, the penetrator then flies a little further before it is ignited. This enables two air detonations to be triggered at short intervals if necessary.

This TAURUS variant was tested by the German Air Force in 2017 in the Two Oceans high-quality exercise on the South African Overberg Air Base .

Taurus KEPD-150

The variant KEPD-150 is also sometimes referred to as Taurus L , respectively. It is a reduced-mass version of the KEPD-350 with a smaller penetrator and less fuel. The first flight of the mock-up took place on August 27, 1998 in Linköping , Sweden.

Taurus M

SMArt ejection using the example of GMLRS

The Taurus M (Multiple Warhead) is used to transport submunitions to destroy enemy airfields, anti-aircraft positions and tank units. An earlier designation is MAW PDWS 2000. The number of submunitions is unclear, but from schematic pictures of the manufacturer there should be space for eight consecutive units in the fuselage. With two rows there would be 16 pieces. Three types of ammunition were considered:

MUSJAS 1/2: Cluster munitions ( Dual Purpose Improved Conventional Munition, DPICM) against lightly and unarmored targets. Since Germany has acceded to the Convention on Cluster Munitions , this version does not apply.

STABO: anti-runway ammunition against runways , a projectile should weigh around 16 kg. The submunitions are ejected downwards, accelerate with a rocket motor onto the track, penetrate it and detonate underneath. Counterpart to the French Apache .

SMArt: Should carry search fuze ammunition for the artillery into the target area in order to combat anti-aircraft positions and tank units. Then enables a much greater range than GMLRS-SMArt or the self-propelled howitzer 2000 . After ejection, the ammunition is decelerated with a braking parachute, then the parachute opens and the ammunition begins to search the area autonomously for targets with its triple search sensor system. Infrared and active and passive millimeter wave radar in the frequency range of 94 GHz are used to find combat vehicles. Their destruction takes place via a projectile-forming charge made of tantalum .

Taurus MP

Taurus MP stands for "Modular Payload". No further details have yet been given; the installation of systems for electronic warfare in connection with a 2-way data link to the satellite is conceivable .

Taurus HPM

The variant Taurus HPM is to use high-power microwave radiation ( English High Power Microwave, HPM ) to destroy enemy electronics. This version is also based on the British-French Storm Shadow . The British successfully tested an HPM warhead for this cruise missile back in July 2002. In more recent publications, the HPM version is mostly treated as a variant of the Taurus MP .

Taurus CL

The variant Taurus CL for "Container Launched" is to be launched by ships and trucks. For this purpose, the cruise missile is provided with a carrying frame and placed in a launch container. The support frame guides the missile inside the container and accelerates it to cruising speed and height with a solid fuel booster , in order to be dropped afterwards.

Taurus T

This version goes back to the Future Offensive Air System study by the Royal Air Force . At that time it was investigated whether it would make sense to launch cruise missiles such as the Storm Shadow with a transport aircraft ( A400M or C-130 ) via the loading ramp. The basic idea was that subsonic aircraft without stealth properties have too little survivability in hostile airspace. Bombers like the Boeing B-52 are therefore armed with cruise missiles in order to achieve distance capability. Launching these cruise missiles from a transport machine would have the same result, but at a much lower cost. The guided weapons are pulled out of the loading ramp with a braking parachute, this is then thrown off and the march phase begins.

Technical specifications

	TAURUS KEPD-350	TAURUS KEPD-150	TAURUS M	TAURUS MP	TAURUS HPM	TAURUS CL	TAURUS T
Commissioning	2005
Navigation systems	GPS, inertial navigation (TRN), image processing navigation (IBN), terrain reference navigation (TRN)
Seeker head	Imaging Infrared (IIR)
Engine	Turbofan Williams International P8300-15
Flight performance
nominal range	350+ km	150+ km
Airspeed	Mach 0.6-0.95
measurements and weight
length	5100 mm
width	1080 mm
height	805 mm
span	2064 mm
Weight	1400 kg	1060 kg
payload
Warhead	MEPHISTO: pre-hollow charge and penetrator	MEPHISTO: pre-shaped charge and lighter penetrator	STABO: Anti-runway ammunition SMArt: Self-targeting ammunition	Unknown	High performance microwave	probably all versions	probably all versions
Weight warhead	495 kg
compatibility
Platforms	Panavia Tornado , F / A-18 Hornet , McDonnell Douglas F-15 , planned: Saab JAS 39 Gripen , Eurofighter Typhoon					Truck or ship	Transport aircraft
costs
Unit price	€ 950,000