That is official: Ukraine will obtain 4 IRIS-T air protection techniques from Germany. The primary set will arrive by the top of this yr, adopted by two remaining techniques early subsequent yr.
DIEHL launcher station 2×4 IRIS-T SL on MAN truck. Picture credit score: Boevaya mashina / CC BY-SA 4.0 (by way of Wikimedia Commons)
Germany’s Ambassador to Ukraine Anka Feldhusen confirmed this info throughout her interview for Radio NV.
“I’m very pleased that we’ll be transmitting 4 of those techniques. It’s going to shield a big area in Ukraine. We now have already heard that the primary system will probably be undoubtedly in Ukraine this yr, I feel the second system as effectively, and the third and the fourth – then, in the beginning of the brand new yr,” Feldhusen stated.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had stated beforehand that Germany would ship trendy IRIS-T air protection techniques to Ukraine. The primary talks in regards to the risk of delivering these trendy air protection platforms to Ukraine started half a yr in the past. Particularly, the medium-range variations of the missiles have been talked about throughout these earlier statements
IRIS-T SL anti-aircraft missile complicated was developed by Diehl BGT Protection in 2014 and is an upgraded model of the unique IRIS-T system. The qualification checks of IRIS-T SL have been accomplished in January 2015. This can be a surface-launched medium-range air protection system with the power to destroy targets at a distance of as much as 40 km (25 miles) and at a peak of as much as 20 km (12 miles). The aim of the system is to neutralize various kinds of enemy plane, together with helicopters, unmanned aerial automobiles, cruise and ballistic missiles.
IRIS-T is taken into account one of the vital superior air protection techniques on the earth. Its SL modification (IRIS-T SL) is a radar-guided model of the missile. In comparison with earlier variations, the development of the missile has been optimized to cut back air drag. The diameter of the rocket motor was elevated to 152 mm. Two variations of the missile exist: short-range (SLS) and medium-range (SLM). The operational testing of IRIS-T SLM has been accomplished in January 2022. IRIS-T SLX (lengthy vary) variant is at the moment underneath growth.
The weapon makes use of a GPS-based inertial navigation system. Throughout the preliminary stage of the launch, a radar information hyperlink mixed with inertial-satellite correction is used for command steerage. Throughout the ultimate stage, IRIS-T SLM makes use of the interference-resistant IR seeker head.
