The German MoD (Ministry of Defense) announced on December 15, 2022, the delivery of more IRIS-T SLM surface-to-air missiles to Ukraine. The IRIS-T SLM is a surface-to-air defense missile system designed and manufactured by the German company Diehl Defence.
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The IRIS-T SLM missile can destroy aerial targets at a maximum distance of 40 km and an altitude of up to 20 km. (Picture source Dhiel Defence)
On September 28, 2022, it was confirmed that Germany will supply Ukraine with four batteries of IRIS-T SLM air defense missile systems. Citing information from the German Ministry of Defense, the first IRIS-T SLM battery was delivered to Ukraine in October 2022.
The IRIS-T SLM provides air defense on 360° and is able to intercept and destroy aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles, and guided weapons. It enables simultaneous engagement of multiple targets from very short to medium-range within extremely brief reaction times.
The IRIS-T SLM ground-based air defense system uses a modified guided missile IRIS-T equipped with a more powerful engine as a means of destruction. The iris-T missile is a short to medium range infrared homing air-to-air missile that was designed to replace the AIM-9 Sidewinder, a short-range air-to-air missile.
The IRIS-T SLM missile uses additional radio command guidance (combined with inertial-satellite correction) in the main trajectory section with infrared CNS navigation system type IIR target acquisition in the final section.
The missiles of the IRIS-T SLM system are designed to intercept aerial threats at medium ranges with a maximum distance of 40 km and altitude of 20 km. The missile has a length of 2.93 m, a diameter of 127 mm, and a wingspan of 447 mm. It has a combat weight of 11.4 kg.
