Bulgaria will consider purchasing IRIS-T anti-aircraft missile systems from Germany to strengthen its air defense.

The Bulgarian government has submitted the relevant project to the parliament for approval.

The document envisages the initial purchase of at least one IRIS-T SLM medium-range air defense system from the German company Diehl Defense. Bulgaria plans to spend €182.11 million on this.

At the same time, it is possible to purchase up to five additional IRIS-T SLMs and one longer-range SLX system.

The new anti-aircraft systems are to be purchased as part of the European Sky Shield Initiative, which Bulgaria joined last year.

The project, which has already been joined by seventeen European countries, aims to reduce costs by coordinating the procurement of air and missile defense systems. It also aims to ensure cooperation in training, maintenance, and logistics.

The SLX version of the IRIS-T is still under development. Diehl Defense says that the new air defense system should be able to destroy air targets at ranges of up to 80 km and at altitudes of up to 30 km.

These figures are twice as high as the combat capabilities of the IRIS-T SLM, which proved to be a good example in Ukraine during the interception of Russian missiles. The Ukrainian Armed Forces are receiving these air defense systems from Germany as part of military assistance.

IRIS-T SAM

The IRIS-T system is designed to destroy airplanes, helicopters and UAVs, as well as cruise missiles. Diehl Defense is the general contractor and system integrator of the IRIS. It is responsible for the supply of launchers and anti-aircraft missiles.

The system has medium- and short-range modifications that are equipped with different types of missiles. The IRIS-T SLM can hit air targets at a distance of up to 40 km, and the shorter SLS version — up to 12 km.

The launchers can be mounted on a wheeled (MAN 8×8) or tracked chassis (BvS10 two-section all-terrain vehicle) and contain 4 or 8 containers with missiles for vertical launch.

Previously, Militarnyi reported that Latvia had signed a contract for the supply of IRIS-T. The contract is worth about 600 million euros, and the system will be delivered to Latvia in 2026.