The predecessor of DWS-39 is DWS-24, which was developed by Rocket Technology Co., Ltd. from 1980s on the basis of MW- 1 and MDS. The basic design requirements are projective (MW- 1), MDS and VBW are tethered dispensers, and the carrier must enter the target area to dispense Puckilo ammunition. Although the hit accuracy is high and the bomb load is large, the carrier-based aircraft will. However, DWS-24 has not been favored by the German Air Force. After the Swedish Bofors Missile Company (later affiliated to Celsius Technology Company, now Saab Bofors Power Company) joined the development plan in 1985, DWS-24 was renamed DWS-39 (indicating that its equipment object was JAS-39 Gryphon which was being developed at that time. The division of labor between the two parties is that Rocket Technology Company is responsible for developing the projectile, and Bofors Company independently develops and uses the submunitions-however, the submunitions originally planned to be used by DWS-24(MW- 1, MDS and VBW are also used), and the submunitions developed by Thomson-German Aerospace Ordnance Company (called TDA/TDW Company in France/Germany respectively) can continue to be used. The development of 1986 was funded by the Swedish Defence Materials Agency (FMV). However, after the first prototype of 1989 crashed due to flight control software problems, the Swedish Defense Materials Bureau had to concentrate on re-studying the flight control law of the aircraft using the American T-33 stabilized aircraft, resulting in insufficient project investment. In this way, DWS-39 didn't start flight test and low-speed production until 1994, and entered the Swedish Air Force after 1997, numbered BK90.
DWS-39, including submunitions, weighs about 600 kilograms. The streamlined head is equipped with inertial navigation system, radar altimeter and digital control computer. The middle section of the rectangular section is the deployment load cabin, and there are 24 transverse launch tubes on both sides with a diameter of132 mm. The launcher with ears on the upper surface and a pair of fixed wings with a standard spacing of about 762 mm (wingspan is about 1 m) can load the mission data on the ground or in the air through the carrier, and then project the launcher at the space position window determined by the mission data. The range of the dispenser can reach 10 km at 50 meters low altitude and high flight speed, and the maximum range is over 20 km at medium altitude. And can attack targets within 5 kilometers of the side.
Taurus is not affected by GPS.
At present, Spain has ordered 43 "Taurus" KEPD 350 cruise missiles, which will be equipped on the country's "Eurofighter". As of mid-2007, Taurus Systems has provided 300 (600 made by * * *) Taurus missiles to the German Air Force, which have been deployed in batches on Gale fighters. Each Taurus cruise missile weighs about 1400 kg and is 5 meters long. A tornado fighter or a European fighter can deploy at most two such missiles at the same time.
According to international defense analysts, because of its advanced modular design and strong versatility, Taurus can also be widely equipped on many other western fighters, such as F/A- 18 Hornet, JAS-39, F- 1 1, AP-3C, etc., so it is derived. Sweden, Canada, Australia and other countries have shown great interest in this new type of air-to-ground cruise missile.
The so-called "anti-zone attack missile" in the west is a weapon concept gradually developed after the Gulf War. It's actually a medium-range air-launched cruise missile. The effective range of this missile is larger than the identification circle of the enemy air defense system, which can make the launch platform launch safely and "ignore it after launch" and effectively attack enemy targets. With the massive deployment of Patriot -3, Antai -2500, S-400 and other high-altitude long-range air defense systems in recent years, air-to-ground missiles outside the defense zone have become the indicator weapons for future air-to-ground confrontation, and their key performance mainly focuses on three aspects: First, the range. The standard range of "Taurus" KEPD 350 is 350 kilometers, but it is estimated that its effective range can reach 400 kilometers, which is long-range among active tactical cruise missiles, and the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile is only 290 kilometers. Generally speaking, cruise missiles with a range of more than 600 kilometers are often used to perform strategic tasks. The second is precision guidance. "Taurus" missile has a unique midcourse guidance mode, which adopts three navigation modes: Global Positioning System/Inertial Navigation System (GPS/INS) and Terrain Navigation System, while other cruise missiles generally only use GPS/INS guidance in midcourse. Defenders believe that the unique design concept of Taurus embodies the crisis of security atmosphere in Europe's independent defense. The precedent that the United States closed its GPS service to Europe during the Gulf War gave people reason to question its reliability. Even if the GPS navigation system is disturbed, Taurus can still fly to the target area under the guidance of the other two navigation systems, and according to the terrain matching guidance, it can automatically avoid enemy interception at low altitude and hit the target accurately. The third is universality. From the military point of view, the serial development of cruise missiles means the advantages of good versatility, simple logistics maintenance and rapid deployment, while in the field of military trade, it means the maximization of the market. At present, Tomahawk cruise missiles have developed into a series of missiles that can launch in all directions by sea, land and air, span medium/long range, and can undertake land attack/anti-ship, tactics/strategy and other tasks. At present, "Taurus" includes two models: 350A and 350P. 350P is modified to reduce fuel consumption and weight. The launch weight is about 1 240kg and the maximum range is 300km. The warhead of 350A was changed into submunitions, and the submunitions to be used are MUSJAS, STABO and SMArt—SEAD. MUSJAS submunition can produce shaped fragments after explosion, which can be used to attack light armored targets; STABO is an anti-runway submunition, which uses high-explosive warheads in series. SEAD stands for "air defense against the enemy". Smart-SEAD can scan an area of about 20,000 square meters and use "EFP" to attack the target.