About a month after the announcement of the first Taurus cruise missile launch from a Gripen fighter jet, reports indicate that the integration has been completed, although it was originally expected to be completed no earlier than 2028.
The Taurus cruise missile has reached new capabilities. It has been fully integrated into Swedish Gripen fighter jets. The work was completed in record time, well ahead of schedule.
This is stated in press releases issued by MBDA Deutschland and the joint venture TAURUS Systems GmbH. As a result, more European platforms will be able to deploy this long-range strike capability.
From Defense Express we would like to note that, according to initial plans announced in 2025, the integration on the JAS 39C/D was not expected to be completed before 2028, whereas it is now scheduled for the second half of September 2026. In other words, the work was completed more than a year earlier than originally planned.
At the same time, it is worth noting that the commander of the Swedish Air Force had already spoken about accelerating integration in December 2025, while in the second half of August 2026, the Swedish military reported that their Gripen had carried out its first Taurus launch.
This development is particularly significant for Ukraine, which is set to receive used Swedish Gripen aircraft as early as 2027. This will provide the Ukrainian Air Force with a platform capable of launching the Taurus missiles. In other words, no additional modifications will be required, unlike those needed for the Storm Shadow/SCALP on the Su-24M/MR.
At the same time, it is important to note that, despite this simplification, the decision to transfer cruise missiles remains primarily political and ultimately depends on Germany. Therefore, this provides no guarantees of delivery.
It should be noted that, despite the involvement of Swedish company Saab in its development, none of the countries operating the Gripen currently uses the Taurus. Therefore, the main advantage at this time is the ability for European countries to share their stocks of Taurus missiles, as well as the previously mentioned possibility of supplying them to Ukraine.
Production of these cruise missiles is only getting back on track. Ukraine is set to receive 16 used Gripen C/D aircraft and another 16 new Gripen E aircraft, with the potential to order up to 150 aircraft in total.
Source: Defence News
