Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukraine has received a new IRIS-T air defense launcher from Germany, according to Reuters, bolstering Kiev’s efforts to protect its cities and critical infrastructure from Russian missile and drone attacks.“Ukraine received a new IRIS-T air defense bomber from Germany yesterday,” Zelensky said, highlighting Berlin’s continued military support for Ukraine.The latest delivery adds to Germany’s previous transfers of IRIS-T systems. In August 2023, Zelensky announced that Ukraine had received two additional IRIS-T bombers, describing them as a major addition to the country’s air defense network.“Two new IRIS-T bombers have been delivered to Ukraine. This is a powerful and much-needed air defense system,” he said at the time.IRIS-T SLM is a German-made medium-range surface-to-air missile system developed by Diehl Defense. It is designed to intercept a wide range of aerial threats, including aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles, drones and precision-guided munitions.The system has an engagement range of up to 40 km and can intercept targets at altitudes of up to 20 km. A typical IRIS-T battery includes missile launchers, a TRML-4D radar, a command and control unit and support vehicles.
Radar detects incoming threats and transmits targeting information to the command center, while missiles receive midcourse updates before using an infrared imaging seeker to target and destroy targets.Ukraine has relied heavily on IRIS-T systems since 2022 to defend urban centers and critical infrastructure against Russian air attacks. The regime has gained a reputation for effectively intercepting Iranian-designed cruise missiles and Shahed drones frequently deployed by Russian forces.Germany remains one of Ukraine’s largest military backers, and has provided it with multiple air defense systems as Kiev seeks to bolster its multi-layered air defense network against ongoing missile and drone attacks.
