STOCKHOLM, August 26, 2026 (Agencies) — Sweden has conducted the first test launch of the Taurus KEPD 350 cruise missile from a Saab Gripen fighter aircraft, marking a significant step in Stockholm’s efforts to strengthen its long-range precision-strike capabilities.
The Swedish Air Force said the test was carried out on August 21 at the Vidsel Test Range in northern Sweden. The launch forms part of Sweden’s efforts to integrate the advanced stand-off weapon with the Gripen platform.
The Taurus KEPD 350 is a long-range air-launched cruise missile designed to strike heavily fortified and hardened targets. The weapon is approximately 5.1 metres long, weighs around 1,400 kilogrammes and has a reported range in the 350-to-500-kilometre class.
The missile uses the MEPHISTO warhead system, designed to penetrate hardened and deeply protected targets before detonating inside them. Its intelligent fuze allows the weapon to adjust its detonation sequence according to the characteristics of the target.
Powered by a small turbofan engine, Taurus is designed to fly at extremely low altitude, reportedly around 30 metres above the ground in some flight conditions, while reaching speeds of up to approximately Mach 0.9. Its low-level flight profile is intended to reduce its exposure to enemy air-defence systems.
The Swedish test is particularly significant because the Taurus was not originally developed around the Gripen platform. Integration of the weapon would give Sweden’s fighter fleet a substantially enhanced stand-off strike capability, allowing aircraft to engage targets from considerable distances without having to approach heavily defended areas.
Taurus is already operated by several countries. Germany fields the missile with its Panavia Tornado fleet and has plans for integration with the Eurofighter, while Spain operates it from its EF-18 Hornet aircraft and is also integrating it with the Eurofighter. South Korea operates a variant known as the KEPD 350K from its F-15K Slam Eagle fighters.
The Swedish test comes amid Stockholm’s broader military modernisation following its decision to join NATO. The country has been expanding defence spending, strengthening its air and missile-defence capabilities and increasing the operational flexibility of its Gripen fleet.
The successful test could pave the way for further integration and evaluation of Taurus on Swedish Gripen aircraft, potentially providing the Swedish Air Force with a new deep-strike capability and strengthening its ability to conduct precision attacks against high-value targets at extended ranges.