Sweden is set to gain the ability to strike targets deep inside hostile territory sooner than expected, as the Gripen fighter aircraft will be equipped with the German-built Taurus cruise missile ahead of schedule, according to the head of the Swedish Air Force.
Major General Jonas Wikman told Defense News that priorities have been reshuffled to accelerate the program. He explained that closer coordination between Sweden’s defense materiel agency (FMV), the armed forces, and industry partners has allowed development work to overlap, significantly advancing the original timeline. As a result, the system is expected to become operational well before earlier projections.
FMV, Sweden’s procurement authority for defense equipment, had previously indicated in a February document that the Taurus KEPD-350 missile would reach initial operational capability on the JAS 39 Gripen C/D around 2028. Due to the classified nature of the effort, officials declined to reveal the revised integration date. The Taurus missile is produced by Taurus Systems GmbH, a joint venture between Germany’s MBDA Deutschland and Sweden’s Saab.
According to the manufacturer, the missile carries a 481-kilogram payload and is engineered to neutralize reinforced and deeply buried targets at distances exceeding 500 kilometers. Wikman described the introduction of the weapon as a major milestone that will reshape both Swedish air power doctrine and operational planning.
He noted that Sweden previously lacked long-range strike and offensive counter-air capabilities, focusing almost exclusively on defensive systems. The addition of Taurus represents a fundamental shift in posture. Wikman also highlighted Germany’s extensive support in developing Sweden’s long-range strike capabilities.
While Saab has previously released imagery of the Gripen armed with the Taurus missile—and showcased the configuration publicly as early as 2016 at the FIDAE air show in Chile—no live-fire trials have been conducted to date.
Rather than relying on a conventional mid-life modernization program, Sweden upgrades the Gripen incrementally, introducing new capabilities on a continuous basis, with more substantial enhancements typically occurring every three years. Wikman attributed this flexibility to two key factors: Saab’s position as a domestic manufacturer allows it to tightly coordinate the national defense industrial ecosystem, enabling rapid responses to evolving operational needs.
Additionally, the Gripen E has undergone a major avionics redesign that separates flight-critical software from mission systems. This architecture simplifies the process of rolling out rapid improvements to combat performance, according to Saab engineers.
