German finance minister's dismissal over Ukraine missile dispute

According to the portal Berliner Zeitung.de, citing Christian Lindner's statement, his dismissal arose from the dispute concerning allocating 3 billion euros (approximately 4,5 billion Canadian dollars) to Ukraine. Christian Lindner criticized this idea due to Germany's complicated situation and suggested that Ukraine be given what it needs most.

This refers to the long-range cruise missiles TAURUS KEPD 350, whose delivery to Ukraine had been under discussion since mid-2023. Chancellor Olaf Scholz reportedly categorically disapproved and then dismissed the FDP coalition politician from the position of finance minister. This action led to the resignation of other FDP ministers and sparked a political crisis.

The Taurus KEPD 350 cruise missile was developed through cooperation between Berlin and Stockholm, beginning in the 1990s. A decade earlier, Germany had been seeking similar weaponry, collaborating with France on a missile program that later transformed into the Storm Shadow.

However, Germany withdrew from this venture for political reasons and decided to develop its own missile with Sweden. The result was the Taurus KEPD 350, introduced into service in 2005, whose name stands for Kinetic Energy Penetration Destroyer.

The Taurus KEPD 350 is a cruise missile with a range exceeding 500 kilometres, produced using stealth technology. It is five metres long and weighs approximately 1,400 kilograms, so it is designed for launch from aircraft. It features an intriguing 480-kilogram MEPHISTO (Multi-Effect Penetrator Highly Sophisticated and Target Optimised) warhead.

Its weight class is similar to the Storm Shadow's, but it features a very advanced fuse. This fuse, in addition to exploding on impact or in the air, can also detonate with a delay, for example, after penetrating two walls. The fuse in the Taurus has additional sensors that detect obstacles and empty spaces, allowing it to "count floors" and program detonation on a specific bunker floor.

In comparison, competitive missiles have their detonation delay set manually before the aircraft's flight based on data such as target material type or wall thickness. This means there's always a margin of error, which is not present with the Taurus.

A turbofan engine provides propulsion, enabling the missile to maintain subsonic speeds (from 0.8 to 0.9 Mach) at low altitudes. Meanwhile, precise targeting is ensured by a tandem of inertial and satellite navigation, combined with a fourth-generation (IIR) optoelectronic head that sees the target's thermal image.

This additionally tracks the terrain and compares it with a preloaded map, ensuring the missile always hits the target, even in environments with heavy satellite navigation jamming. It would be the third weapon, after the Storm Shadow missiles and MGM-140 ATACMS ballistic missiles, that would significantly increase the Ukrainians' capabilities.