Germany fortifies Ukraine with advanced IRIS-T anti-air system

Germany has announced the completion of a new batch of assistance to Ukraine. In addition to 155 mm artillery ammunition and drones, the shipment includes the IRIS-T SLS anti-aircraft system. Here's what it can do.

Germany recently delivered to Ukraine a battery of the IRIS-T SLS anti-aircraft system, approximately 14,000 artillery shells, 10 Sonabot drones, 26 Vector drones, an armoured Bergepanzer 2 technical recovery vehicle, and nearly 800 firearms, including 700 Haenel MK556 rifles.

The IRIS-T systems are particularly vital for Ukraine as they allow the targeting of Russian drones, helicopters, and aeroplanes. Artillery ammunition, which can encompass many types, is also crucial.

The shipment likely includes mostly basic DM121 family shells with a range of up to approximately 31 kilometres when fired from a howitzer such as the PzH-2000 or similar, but it may also contain self-guided SMArt 155 shells or long-range Vulcano GLR shells.

Germany has decided to provide Ukraine with a total of seven batteries of the IRIS-T SL anti-aircraft system, which completed testing only in 2014. This system comes in two variants: SLM (four batteries delivered) and SLS (three batteries delivered), differing in the missiles used.

In the first case, dedicated rocket-propelled missiles with a larger rocket engine are used, enabling targets to be engaged at distances up to 40 kilometres. In the case of the SLS version, which has a range of about 10 kilometres, IRIS-T missiles are employed by many NATO air forces. This is the same concept as the Norwegian NASAMS system, greatly simplifying logistics because aviation stocks could be used in a shortage of anti-aircraft missiles.

The IRIS-T missile, developed jointly by Germany, Greece, Norway, Sweden, Italy, and formerly Canada, serves as the primary munition. It has replaced the short-range AIM-9 Sidewinder in these countries and is partially based on the highly successful Soviet Vympel R-73 missile, borrowing its thrust-vectoring system.

IRIS-T entered service with the Luftwaffe in 2005 and is used to engage targets at distances of around 26 kilometres at high altitudes, where the air is thinner. The missile has an infrared seeker head that sees a thermal image of the target rather than just a heat point, making it impossible to deceive with flares, for example.

Additionally, it uses algorithms to simulate attacks and force the target to waste energy with evasive manoeuvres, making it easier to hit during the actual attack. During one of the MPSO fairs, a manufacturer representative also revealed that the IRIS-T can withstand G-forces much over 60 G and can even shoot down other anti-aircraft missiles such as the medium-range R-77 fired by opposing aircraft, something competitors cannot do.

It is one of the most advanced anti-aircraft missiles globally, performing excellently in Ukraine, where IRIS-T SLM and SLS system operators have reported a 100% success rate in engagements.