Scholtz government is slow in awarding defense procurement contracts for the missile Ukraine asks for.

MBDA, the European defense consortium (Airbus, BAE Systems, and Leonardo) that manufactures the Taurus cruise missile, has expressed frustration over the slow pace of defense contract awards from the German government, emphasizing the urgent need for expedited decision-making by the federal leadership. 

Without prompt orders, production of Taurus missiles halts, compelling suppliers to cease operations, said Thomas Gottschild (pictured below), head of MBDA’s German subsidiary, in an interview with the publication Augsburger Allgemeine.

“The production line for the Taurus, the test equipment and the corresponding halls are still in place.

We could start production for the Taurus at any time. But to do this we would need a new order for these weapons,” he stated, adding that the law prohibits the company from producing in stock – this requires approval from the federal government.

“It is a challenge for our industry when production is interrupted like with the Taurus. In such cases, our suppliers, who are often small and medium-sized companies, have stopped production. They often cannot financially afford to maintain production lines. 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 went on.

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Whether and under what conditions Taurus cruise missiles will be delivered to Ukraine is a political decision by the federal government, Gottschild stressed, assuring at the same time that the German armed forces have "some reserves" of Taurus missiles.

The Taurus travels more than 500 kilometers, flying very low and very fast, and Ukraine needs it to disrupt Russian logistics chains and command centers inside Russia.

The German chancellor, Olaf Scholtz, vehemently opposes sending Taurus missiles to Kyiv, over concerns of a direct armed confrontation between Germany and Russia.

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