IRIS-T air defense system (Photo: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine)
Germany is providing Ukraine with an additional IRIS-T air defense system, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced on X.
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"We have once again delivered to Ukraine a combined IRIS-T SLM and IRIS-T SLS launcher – an advanced and proven medium- and short-range air defense system manufactured directly by German industry," he said.
Pistorius recalled that Russian airstrikes continue to kill people and destroy Ukrainian infrastructure.
On the evening of May 24, the German magazine Der Spiegel reported that another IRIS-T air defense system had arrived in Ukraine from Germany. This additional IRIS-T system was also announced on April 18 – Diehl Defence CEO Helmut Rauch promised delivery within "a few weeks."
The IRIS-T is a medium-range surface-to-air missile system developed by the German company Diehl Defence in 2014. It is designed to destroy cruise and ballistic missiles as well as aircraft, helicopters and UAVs. The system can engage multiple targets simultaneously in all weather conditions thanks to its 360-degree radar station. The IRIS-T missiles have a range of up to 40 km and can reach altitudes of up to 20 km. These missiles are also capable of distinguishing targets from decoys, making them difficult to misdirect. An IRIS-T SLM launcher is equipped with eight IRIS-T SL missiles. There is also a short-range version (12 km) known as IRIS-T SLS. Germany has already supplied such systems to Ukraine.