Ukraine boosts air defense with expanded IRIS-T missile deal
Ukraine has signed a memorandum with Diehl Defence, the manufacturer of IRIS-T missiles, concerning the joint development of the system in the future and assurances to triple the supply of missiles for air defence systems donated to Ukraine.
Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umierov announced the signing of a cooperation memorandum with the German company Diehl Defence. Diehl Defence produces IRIS-T SLM and SLS anti-aircraft systems and missiles for them.
The signed agreement opens the way for significant industrial projects aimed at strengthening Ukrainian air defence. Additionally, it includes plans to triple the supply of IRIS-T family missiles for Ukraine.
IRIS-T SLM and SLS — a core part of Ukrainian air defence
In the second year of the war, Ukraine has effectively exhausted its own and Western-supplied stock of missiles for Soviet-era anti-aircraft systems and is mainly relying on Western systems or makeshift Soviet-era solutions adapted to utilise Western missiles.
While the support for medium-range systems capable of countering ballistic missiles is insufficient, the situation is better with short-range systems. Among the most frequently supplied systems from the West, alongside the Norwegian-American NASAMS batteries, are the German IRIS-T SLM and SLS systems.
The Ukrainians claimed even a 100 per cent success rate in interceptions, but this statement might have referred, for example, to a single battery. The average across all supplied systems is likely to be slightly lower. It is worth noting that the IRIS-T systems were delivered in two variants, with the SLS using short-range air-to-air missiles IRIS-T having a range exceeding 10 kilometres, while the SLM variant can engage targets up to 40 kilometres away.
IRIS-T Missiles - modern European weaponry
The IRIS-T missile was developed through collaboration among Germany, Greece, Norway, Sweden, Italy, and—for a period—Canada as a European successor to the American AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles for the air forces of several European NATO members. Interestingly, it partially bases its design on the Soviet Vympel R-73 missile, borrowing thrust vectoring technology.
The result of this collaboration entered service with the Luftwaffe in 2005. It has a range of about 25 kilometres at high altitudes where the air is thinner or over 10 kilometres when launched from the ground. The missile is equipped with an advanced infrared electro-optical seeker with an FPA matrix detecting the thermal image of the target, making it resistant to self-defence measures like flares.
Additionally, the IRIS-T employs advanced algorithms that enable it to simulate an attack, causing the targeted aircraft to lose some energy before the attack. At the MPSO trade show, the manufacturer informed us that the IRIS-T can handle overloads exceeding 60 Gs and is capable of shooting down other medium-range air-to-air missiles, such as the Vympel R-77 or AIM-120 AMRAAM.
The same concept applies to the larger IRIS-T SL variant, which entered service in 2017. Its distinguishing features include a larger rocket motor and the addition of a data link to support the seeker head, allowing communication with the launcher after firing, as well as GPS and INS navigation.
This is necessary because the electro-optical seeker can only lock onto a target from a short distance. The maximum interception range for this version is 40 kilometres, with an altitude ceiling of 20 kilometres. It is currently one of the most advanced short-range anti-aircraft systems in the world, used not only by Germany and Ukraine but also by Sweden and Egypt.
