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9th June 2009
SPANISH AIR FORCE SUCCESSFULLY INTEGRATES TAURUS KEPD 350 ONTO EF-18
The Spanish Air Force has successfully carried out their “Southern Cross Operation " at the Overberg test range in South Africa. The operation completed the integration trials of the TAURUS KEPD 350 air-to-surface missile onto its EF-18 strike aircraft. With the integration of the TAURUS KEPD 350 onto the EF-18 aircraft the Spanish Air Force has enhanced its operational capability.
Various test and check flights culminated with the launch of two TAURUS KEPD 350 Operational Missiles, with totally successful results. The tests have proven to the Spanish Air Force, that it has the capability to plan and perform long range missions well outside the engagement zones of hostile air defences and can effectively neutralise heavily defended targets without exposing its aircraft and crews.
The TAURUS KEPD 350 missile represents the latest generation of air-to-surface missiles, and has a range of more than 500 kilometres. The missile possesses the most modern and sophisticated of systems when it comes to navigation, locating and attacking ground targets with very high precision. At the same time, the design of the system greatly reduces the signature of the missile which ensures survivability in areas with dense modern air-defence systems. Once released from the aircraft, the missile can fly at extremely low altitudes.
“The tests demonstrated again that the TAURUS KEPD 350 is a highly reliable weapon system, suitable for different aircrafts and fulfils the future operational requirements of a modern air force”, said Helmut Hederer, Managing Director of TAURUS Systems GmbH.
"The complete system as well as all the subsystems operated perfectly. We are tremendously pleased with this great success. It shows to all our future and current customer that our system is matured and operational", added Christoffer Drevstad, Vice President of TAURUS Systems GmbH.
TAURUS KEPD 350 is one of the only NATO certified stand-off missile on the market that have a unique capability in penetration, precision and range
Note for Editors
TAURUS Systems GmbH (TSG) is a Joint Venture between LFK GmbH / MBDA Germany and Saab Bofors Dynamics AB to be the prime contractor for the TAURUS missile family, which has demonstrated a unique capability against hard and deeply buried targets (HDBTs) and been sold to the German Luftwaffe and trough SENER Ingenieria y Sistemas, acting as prime contractor in Spain, to the Spanish Air Force and under final consideration for selection by other Air Forces.
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last updated: 18.01.2010