Germany Plans to Acquire IRIS-T Systems with Long-Range Missiles

The German Air Force sees the need to procure more long-range, advanced missiles for IRIS-T air defense systems.

This was reported by the publication Hartpunkt.

The statement was made by Lieutenant General Lutz Kohlhaus, Deputy Inspector of the German Air Force.

The discussion is about the future procurement of the IRIS-T SLX missile, which is currently in the development stage.

“This would enhance the overall performance of the system (editor’s note: air defense) in line with the evolving threats,” he said on the sidelines of the Ground-Based Air Defense Summit in Berlin.

He addes that the “concept confirmation” could be scheduled for 2029 if it is ordered in time.

The IRIS-T air defense system in the SLX version is still under development. Diehl Defence states that the new air defense system is designed to engage airborne targets at ranges of up to 80 km and altitudes of up to 30 km.

These specifications are twice as high as the combat capabilities of IRIS-T SLM, which have performed well in Ukraine during the interception of Russian missiles. These air defense systems are being provided to the Ukrainian Armed Forces by Germany as part of military aid.

Diehl plans to develop a launch system by next year that will be capable of launching both IRIS-T SLM and IRIS-T SLX missiles. This will allow for the mixed use of eight missiles of two types on a single launcher, providing air defense operators with more options.

The German Armed Forces have currently ordered six IRIS-T SLM air defense systems. In addition to these, the Air Force is calling for the rapid procurement of another six systems.

Last month, it was revealed that the Bundeswehr could not begin operating the IRIS-T SLM system, which had been acquired in September 2024, due to non-compliance with German safety standards.

Despite the announcement of achieving initial operational capabilities of the system in September, it is still in the testing phase, according to the publication Defence Network.