Norway’s Nammo to Develop Engine for IRIS-T SLX Air Defense Missile

Norwegian defense company Nammo is beginning development of a new rocket motor for the IRIS-T SLX air defense missile, which has an engagement range of 80 kilometers.

Breaking Defense reported this, citing a company representative.

The company plans to begin work on a prototype two-pulse motor, including static-fire tests to validate engineering analysis and simulation modeling.

“Nammo produces rocket motors for other munitions, but this is a totally new development project for us … which has almost no basis in previous developments or programs of this type. We will start building the prototype as soon as we can,” a Nammo program manager stated on the sidelines of a corporate symposium.

German defense company Diehl, the manufacturer of the IRIS-T air defense system, plans to conduct the first development test firings of the IRIS-T SLX air defense missile in 2027. The company expects series production of the extended-range missile to begin in 2029.

In July, Diehl CEO Helmut Rauch said the SLX would reduce dependence on U.S. Patriot missiles amid shortages that have prompted Ukraine to urge Western allies to urgently transfer their stocks.

“We are significantly increasing production volumes for the IRIS-T SLS and IRIS-T SLM rocket motor programs,” the Nammo program manager added, as these programs are critically important to Ukraine’s air defense.

IRIS-T SLX

German company Diehl Defence first presented the extended-range IRIS-T SLX air defense missile at the 2024 Berlin Air Show as a logical development of the IRIS-T SLM air defense system.

The main tactical difference in the SLX version is its engagement zone, which is twice that of the baseline SLM model: it can engage airborne targets at ranges of up to 80 kilometers and at altitudes of up to 30 km.

The SLX is fully compatible with the IRIS-T SLM ground infrastructure and uses existing radar stations, Tactical Operations Centers (TACTOC) and software.

In February 2026, Diehl Defence unveiled a new launcher capable of supporting a “mixed” missile load, allowing SLM and SLX missiles to be used simultaneously.

In June 2026, it was announced that Ukrainian F-16 fighter jets would likely receive German IRIS-T short-range air-to-air missiles.