Germany's MBDA planning to resume production of Taurus missiles

MBDA Managing Director Thomas Gottschild said this in an interview with Augsburger Allgemeine, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"The production line for the Taurus, the test equipment and the corresponding halls are still in place. We could start Taurus production at any time. But to do this, we would need a new order for these weapons," Gottschild said.

He noted that there are "many signals" from the government, but the manufacturer needs contracts.

"We now have some confidence that these contracts will come about," Gottschild said.

He clarified that it is impossible to start production immediately, since many suppliers will also have to increase production.

"So if we got new orders for the Taurus, our suppliers would first have to reposition themselves and, for example, secure the raw materials they need," he said.

According to him, the defense industry needs a base load in production so that the company can keep the production of certain weapons going.

"Then, in an emergency like now, we can ramp up production very quickly," Gottschild said.

He declined to comment on whether Germany will supply Taurus missiles to Ukraine, noting that this is a political decision. At the same time, he expressed confidence that Ukraine needs such missiles with a flight range of more than 500 kilometers to combat the enemy's logistics chains and destroy strategic targets.

Gottschild also announced plans to produce missiles for the Patriot air defense system. According to him, several countries have joined forces in this direction on Germany's initiative. MBDA signed a contract with its U.S. partner Raytheon through a joint venture to produce up to 1,000 missiles in Schrobenhausen, Bavaria. The contract is for ten years. The first missiles will be delivered within three years.

"Looking at the course of the war in Ukraine, it is clear that we need both high technology and scale, especially when it comes to ammunition," Gottschild said.

He also said that MBDA Germany was investing over EUR 200 million in its locations over the next four years to ramp up production lines.

Photo: Karl-Josef Hildenbrand, dpa