German arms manufacturer MBDA Deutschland is ready to resume production of long-range Taurus missiles, but the German government is delaying orders. Production is currently on hold.
This was announced by the head of the concern Thomas Gottschild in an interview with the newspaper Augsburger Allgemeine.
Because the Taurus production line, test equipment and related workshops are preserved, the company can begin production of the Taurus at any time, he said. For this, a new order from the government is needed.
“Itʼs a challenge for our industry when production is disrupted, as was the case with Taurus. Our suppliers, which are often small and medium-sized businesses, have stopped production. They often cannot financially afford to maintain production lines," said Thomas Gottschild.
To fulfill new orders, suppliers will first be forced to reorganize, as well as purchase scarce raw materials, for example, for explosives.
And he added that the law prohibits companies from producing stockpiles of weapons. Therefore, the concerns will not be able to provide the state with weapons immediately after its request — it will take time for the supply.
"The defense industry needs long-term contracts to be able to secure short-term opportunities in the future," emphasized the head of MBDA Deutschland.
After the start of the full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war, Thomas Gottschild concluded that Germany needed both high technology and mass, especially when it came to ammunition. Previously, the German arms industry usually produced small batches of weapons in a highly specialized and high-tech factory.
In an interview, Thomas Gottschild was also asked about the supply of Taurus to Ukraine, to which he replied: "This is a political decision of the government", which he does not want to comment on. At the same time, he understands the need of the Ukrainians to get these long-range cruise missiles.
- Taurus are German guided missiles with a range of up to 500 kilometers and a warhead of 500 kilograms. They are an analogue of the British Storm Shadow and the French SCALP-EG, which are already successfully used by the Ukrainian aviation.
- In February 2024 , the German Bundestag voted to recommend providing long-range weapons to Ukraine, which can be considered a call to hand over the Taurus. However, Chancellor Olaf Scholz has the last word — he is still against the transfer because he fears an escalation with Russia.