Naples, Italy: European consortium MBDA has offered their 300 km-range Taurus stand-off missile system to the Indian Air Force (IAF) as inventory for its heavy platform fighter jets, such as the Russian Su-30MKI. MBDA is a specialist missile and defence systems  producing firm with manufacturing facilities  spread over the European region and the United States.

"We have received a Request for Information (RFI) from the IAF for a stand-off long range missile from the IAF and we have offered the Taurus missiles as we feel that it meets all the desired requirements," Anders Axebark, the business development manager for the missile systems told a group of Indian journalists here.

The Taurus air-to-ground missiles are manufactured by the Germany-based Taurus Systems GmbH, which is a joint venture between MBDA and Swedish defence major Saab.

India has announced plans to upgrade the first batch of its Sukhoi-30MKIs in collaboration with Russia and is looking to enhance the capabilities of this 4++ generation fighter aircraft by equipping it with new radars, long-range weapons and avionics.

Axebark said the IAF has already been briefed by the company at the air headquarters in New Delhi about the operational advantages offered by the missile.

"The German Air Force is also planning to carry out a test-firing of the missile for the IAF in November at one of the field-firing ranges in South Africa," he said.

Axebark said that his company has also briefed the DRDO about the system and is looking for opportunities to co-develop anti-ship, surface to surface and transport aircraft-launched versions of the missile with the research organisation.

The ground-launched version has also been offered to the Indian Army.

Taurus is capable of taking out hard targets such as bunkers and concrete shelters from a stand-off range of 300 km and it can also approach the target without using the GPS navigation system, making it less amenable to jamming.

The MBDA has also offered its MICA and Meteor missiles to the IAF and said that they can be integrated with various types of aircraft operating in the IAF.

These offers have to be looked at in the context of the ongoing $11bn tender finalisation process of the IAF's MMRCA (medium range multi-role combat aircraft) acquisition. The European consortium Eurofighter's offering, the Typhoon, is a finalist alongside the French Dassault Rafale.

It will be in the interest of the Europeans to offer a comprehensive package for the deal, which will see results announced next month.

The Taurus KEPD 350

The Taurus is a modular, all-weather, high precision, stand-off weapon for long-range, high precision strikes. Its main targets are Hard and Deeply Buried Targets (HDBTs), bunkers, bridges, runways, ships in port, shelters, aircraft on ground, SAM-sites

According to MBDA the Taurus is the only stand-off missile capable of being programmed for effect at a specific pre-selected floor inside a target (using layer-counting and void sensing technology)

The MBDA also says it is the world's only system that can achieve high precision over large distances without GPS.

Taurus is powered by a turbofan engine and can cruise at speeds of Mach 0.8~0.9.

The double 500-kilogram (1,100 lb) warhead called Mephisto (Multi-Effect Penetrator, HIgh Sophisticated and Target Optimised) features a pre-charge and initial penetrating charge to clear soil or enter a bunker, then a variable delay fuse to control detonation of the main warhead.

The missile weighs about 1,400 kg (3,100 lb).

The missile also includes counter measures as a self-defence mechanism.

It is capable of navigating over long distances without GPS support. Once there the missile commences a climb manoeuver to an altitude intended to achieve the best probability of target acquisition and penetration.