The Bundesamt für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik, und Nutzung der Bundeswehr (BAAINBw), Germany’s Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology, and In-Service Support, announced on August 6 that it has received the Luftwaffe’s first IRIS-T SLM (Surface-Launched Medium-Range) fire unit from Diehl.
The acquisition of the IRIS-T SLM units was approved by the budget committee of the Bundestag, Germany’s parliament, in June 2023. The procurement, financed by the Sondervermögen der Bundeswehr special fund, was established following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
IRIS-T SLM is a ground-based air defense system designed to counter aerial threats such as drones, aircraft, helicopters, and cruise missiles. The system provides continuous protection over extended areas, crucial for safeguarding both infrastructure and ground forces from air attacks.
Each fire unit includes a mid-range radar with a detection range of up to 250 km and three launchers, each capable of firing eight missiles with a range of 40 km. These components are remotely controlled from a central command post, requiring minimal personnel—a significant tactical advantage.
Mounted on standardized 20-foot ISO container frames, the modular design of the system allows for rapid deployment via air transport.
The IRIS-T SLM has already proven effective under combat conditions in Ukraine, where Germany has supplied the system to protect civilians and infrastructure from Russian air attacks.
To integrate the system into the Bundeswehr, the manufacturer had to adapt it to various NATO interfaces to ensure compatibility with NATO’s air defense network. These adaptations will be certified and tested following the current acceptance by the procurement office. The Luftwaffe is expected to deploy the IRIS-T SLM by the end of 2025.
