Diehl Defence handed over the first fire unit of the medium-range ground-based air defence system IRIS-T SLM (Infrared Imaging System Tail/Thrust Vector-controlled Surface Launched Medium) to the Estonian Air Force at Ämari Air Base. The Baltic nation is yet another NATO member state that can actively protect its territory with the combat-proven IRIS-T SLM system. For Estonia, this is the largest defence investment in the country’s history to date. For Diehl Defence, today’s handover exemplifies the growth strategy the company has consistently pursued in recent years. Capacity has been significantly expanded at all Diehl Defence production sites in order to reliably meet the increased demand from European NATO member states.
The handover also underlines the importance of the European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI) as a procurement framework. ESSI is a project initiated by Germany in 2022 to establish an integrated European ground-based air defence system and now comprises 23 member states. Eight of these countries have procured IRIS-T SLM: Germany, Estonia, Latvia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Sweden, Denmark and Switzerland. The standardized ESSI contractual framework enables faster procurement processes and creates long-term synergies in training, maintenance and logistics.
“IRIS-T is a medium-range air defence system that has proven itself in Ukraine, and it brings our air defence to a new level, giving us the ability to engage an adversary’s actions from significantly greater distances and altitudes than our existing short-range systems. The war in Ukraine has clearly shown that a strong air defence is a central part of national defence, essential for protecting our people, our defence forces’ units, and critical infrastructure”, said Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur.
Helmut Rauch, CEO of Diehl Defence, proudly stated: “The delivery to Estonia shows that we are able to deliver even under the significant pressure that the European air defence market is currently experiencing. With every system we deliver, we strengthen our partners’ defence capabilities, make a measurable contribution to the NATO alliance’s security architecture, and thereby also help protect the Estonian people.”
The IRIS-T SLM system protects armed forces, civilian population and critical infrastructure against threats posed by aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles and drones at ranges of up to 40 km and altitudes of up to 20 km. A fire unit consists of a launcher, radar and tactical operations center (TOC). It is characterized by high tactical mobility, true 360° coverage and the ability to engage multiple targets with minimal manpower. With an interception success rate of over 95 percent, the system’s effectiveness has been proven many times in operational use in Ukraine. The IRIS-T (infrared imaging system tail/thrust vector-controlled) is a short range infrared homing air-to-air missile. The missile also has other variants, including the surface-to-air-launched IRIS-T SLS and IRIS-T SLM and their derivatives.
