The German army received its first Iris-T SLM anti-aircraft defence system on Wednesday in response to the Russian threat, with Berlin having already delivered four examples to Ukraine since October 2022.
“Putin has deployed missiles as far as Kaliningrad, 530 kilometres from Berlin as the crow flies. Failure to react appropriately would be negligence (…) Inaction would endanger peace here too,” said German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, during a ceremony at the Bundeswehr military base in Todendorf, in the north of the country.
Manufactured by the German company Diehl, the Iris-T SLM systems protect drones, aircraft, helicopters and cruise missiles at a distance of 40 kilometers and an altitude of up to 20 kilometers.
In total, Berlin has ordered six of these systems. After the delivery of the first copy on Wednesday, the Bundeswehr is expected to receive the other five in May 2027. They are a component of the German air shield project European Sky Shield (ESSI), which Berlin presented in August 2022 in Prague and “in which 21 countries are participating,” stressed the German Chancellor.
US missiles in Germany from 2026
In addition to the short-range defence provided by the Iris T system, the ESSI initiative relies on the American Patriot for medium range and the American-Israeli Arrow-3 for long range. France, which advocates an air defence system with European equipment, is not part of the ESSI project.
During his speech, Olaf Scholz praised the project: “We want as many states as possible to have this system.”
Having delivered four Iris-T SLM systems and three Iris-T SLS (related model) to Ukraine, Berlin plans to supply kyiv with eight of the first model and nine of the second.
In response to the Russian threat, Berlin also agreed with Washington in mid-July to deploy American missiles in Germany from 2026 onwards. A decision that Olaf Scholz defended again on Wednesday despite criticism in Germany, especially from the far right and the far left: “It’s about ensuring peace here and avoiding war!”
Source: BFM TV
