MBDA, a European missile manufacturer specializing in air-to-air, air-to-surface, and air defense systems, has secured a new contract linked to Germany’s next-generation Taurus Neo air-launched cruise missile, as Berlin moves to rebuild and expand its long-range strike capabilities.
On December 18, 2025, Taurus Systems, a joint venture between MBDA and Sweden’s Saab, signed an agreement with Germany’s Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw). According to MBDA, the contract is intended to prepare the serial production of the Taurus Neo missile, with large-scale manufacturing planned at a production site in Germany.
Preparing the move from sustainment to serial production
While neither the German authorities nor MBDA disclosed the contract’s financial value or the number of missiles involved, the agreement marks a shift from sustaining the existing Taurus KEPD 350 inventory toward fielding a new, enhanced variant.
MBDA said work on new technologies for Taurus Neo had already begun under a maintenance and modernization contract awarded in December 2024. The latest agreement is designed to accelerate the availability of the Neo standard while expanding industrial capacity for future production.
Germany’s current Taurus KEPD 350 missiles are operationally integrated with the Luftwaffe’s Tornado strike aircraft. However, with the Tornado fleet scheduled to be retired by 2030, Taurus Neo is planned to be integrated on the Eurofighter Typhoon, ensuring continuity of Germany’s air-launched deep-strike capability.
What is known about Taurus Neo
MBDA describes Taurus Neo as a stand-off precision-guided missile designed to allow aircraft to strike heavily defended targets while remaining outside hostile air defense envelopes. The company reiterated a range of more than 500 kilometers (311 miles).
Detailed technical specifications for the Neo variant have not been released. However, the existing Taurus KEPD 350 is known for its low-level terrain-following flight profile, multi-mode navigation designed to operate in contested electromagnetic environments, and a warhead optimized for hardened and buried targets. These characteristics are expected to be carried over and further developed in the Neo configuration.
Scale of ambition and broader context
German media have previously pointed to a large-scale procurement ambition. Earlier reporting has indicated that Berlin is considering the acquisition of up to around 600 Taurus Neo missiles in the longer term, with serial production expected to begin toward the end of the decade.
The Taurus program has also drawn political attention in recent years due to Ukraine’s repeated requests for the missile, which Germany has declined, citing escalation concerns. This position has stood in contrast to France and the UK, which have supplied Ukraine with SCALP/Storm Shadow cruise missiles for long-range strike missions, including on Russian territory.