Unbreakable Defense: IRIS-T Intercepts Seven Russian Missiles in Debut Battle

A unit from the Lviv Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade destroyed seven cruise missiles in a single air defense battle using the newly received IRIS-T air defense system.

This battle was the first for the brigade’s air defenders with the IRIS-T — and it was immediately an exceptionally successful one.

“During the repulsion of a massive missile and air strike, seven Russian cruise missiles entered our engagement zone. We destroyed them one by one,” said Vitalii, the commander of the anti-aircraft missile unit.

Before receiving the new system, the unit’s primary weapon was the Soviet-era S-300 surface-to-air missile system.

“We worked well with the S-300. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, we have destroyed 55 enemy cruise missiles and drones. The most we managed to take down in a single battle was five aerial targets,” the commander noted.

With IRIS-T, the brigade immediately surpassed its previous record.

“This is a modern and highly accurate system that has already earned the respect of our air defenders,” Vitalii said. “We’re confident that with it, we’ll surpass our earlier achievement of 55 downed targets.”

The battle in which seven missiles were destroyed marks the beginning of a new combat tally for the Lviv Brigade — and no one intends to stop there.

The IRIS-T is a modern German short-range surface-to-air missile system designed to protect ground forces near the front lines.

It is built to intercept enemy aircraft, helicopters, and drones.

At the core of the system is the IRIS-T missile, equipped with an infrared homing seeker that has been adapted for ground-based launches. Target acquisition takes place in the final phase of flight using the infrared seeker.

In March, Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense signed a memorandum of understanding with Diehl Defence, the manufacturer of the IRIS missile family.