• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

TAURUS KEPD 350 successfully completes test campaign in South Africa

Berlin/Munich, le 06 mai 2002

The free flight of the TAURUS KEPD 350 standoff guided missile system, FM 7 (flight-test model 7), on 25 April 2002 in Overberg/South Africa was a complete success. For the first time it was possible to demonstrate a complete "high pop-up manoeuvre" with the missile operating at full performance. The free flight was conducted by TAURUS Systems GmbH within the framework of the latest test campaign led by the Wehrtechnische Dienststelle 61 (WTD 61) and supported by the German Air Force.

This free flight over the full range (350 kilometres) provided full confirmation of the TAURUS KEPD 350 system design and the technical maturity of the project. Convincing and unreserved proof was given of the interaction between the new mission planning system and the flight control software. In addition, all the missile's subsystems operated perfectly. A number of different altitude and speed profiles were flown. By selectively using the individual sensors of the missile, it was possible to demonstrate the outstanding performance capabilities of the Tri-Tec navigation system. The entire test campaign formed part of the ongoing development work which is being carried out by TAURUS Systems GmbH and its parent companies EADS/LFK (2/3 holding share) and Saab Bofors Dynamics (1/3).

"Through the successful tests and the free flight in South Africa we have met all the contractual obligations connected with this important development milestone. We are tremendously pleased with this great success and wish to thank the colleagues from WTD 61 and the Luftwaffe for their professional cooperation. We are now placing strong hopes in a quick political decision in favour of production investment and series production so that in 2004 we can punctually make the first deliveries to our customer, the German Luftwaffe, who initially require this state-of-the-art and powerful precision standoff guided missile system for their Tornados," commented Dr. Wolfgang Blaschke, Managing Director of TAURUS Systems GmbH. The German Bundestag is due to decide on the production investment and series production of TAURUS KEPD 350 in June 2002.

The modular standoff guided missile system TAURUS KEPD 350 has been designed as a point target weapon for deployment from the Tornado and Eurofighter aircraft. The current development contract covers not only system design but also development, integration on the Tornado carrier aircraft and overall system verification of TAURUS KEPD 350. Here, for the first time, tasks associated with integrating the missile on the carrier aircraft were included in the development contract and were the overall responsibility of TAURUS Systems GmbH.

Recent experience has shown that there is an urgent need for high-precision standoff guided missile systems that are capable of combating military targets from a great range without endangering the mission aircraft or civilian facilities in the close vicinity of the predefined target. With the completion of the development work on TAURUS KEPD 350 and the parliamentary decisions which are due in the near future, from 2004 on the Luftwaffe would be capable of putting this category of missile system into operational service.

During the International Aerospace Exhibition ILA in Berlin, at the EADS/LFK stand TAURUS Systems GmbH will for the first time give a public showing of a video film on the free flight of 25 April 2002.

Your point of contact:

Wolfram Lautner
Tel. (089) 3179-2549
Fax (089) 3179-3871