Ukraine receives new German IRIS-T air defense launcher amid continued Russian missile and drone attacks

According to Reuters, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukraine has received new IRIS-T air defense launchers from Germany, further strengthening Kyiv’s efforts to protect its cities and critical infrastructure from Russian missiles and drone attacks.“Ukraine received a new IRIS-T air defense launcher from Germany yesterday,” Zelensky said, underscoring Berlin’s continued military support for Ukraine.The latest delivery complements the previous transfer of IRIS-T systems from Germany. In August 2023, Zelensky announced that Ukraine had received two more IRIS-T launchers, describing them as an important addition to the country’s air defense network.“Two new IRIS-T launchers have been delivered to Ukraine. This is a powerful and much-needed air defense system,” he said at the time.The IRIS-T SLM is a German-made medium-range surface-to-air missile system developed by Diehl Defense. It is designed to intercept a variety of air threats, including aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles, drones and precision-guided munitions.The system has a range of up to 40 kilometers and can intercept targets at an altitude of up to 20 kilometers. A typical IRIS-T battery includes missile launchers, TRML-4D radar, command and control units and support vehicles.The radar detects incoming threats and transmits targeting information to the command center, while the missile receives mid-course updates before using an infrared imaging seeker to lock on to and destroy the target.Since 2022, Ukraine has relied heavily on IRIS-T systems to protect urban centers and critical infrastructure from Russian air strikes. The system is known for its effectiveness in intercepting cruise missiles frequently deployed by the Russian military and Iranian-designed Shahd drones.Germany remains one of Ukraine’s largest military backers and provides a variety of air defense systems as Kiev seeks to strengthen its layered air defense network to deal with continued missile and drone attacks.