Recent Russian aerial barrage has shattered four-month calm in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv
and several other cities.
Responding to the massive onslaught of missiles and drones on Ukraine, Germany's defense minister
had said the first of four promised IRIS-T SLM surface-to-air missile systems will arrive
in Ukraine over “the next few days.”
German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht had stated in a statement,
“The renewed rocket fire on Kyiv and the many other cities makes it clear how important
it is to deliver air defense systems to Ukraine quickly.
Russia's missile and drone attacks primarily terrorize the civilian population.
That is why we are now supporting them with anti-aircraft weapons in particular.
In the next few days, the first of four state-of-the-art ones will be up to effectively protect the
people of Ukraine.”
As per the latest update, Germany has made good on the promise and has transferred the
first one.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov hailed the first delivery and tweeted "A new
era of air defence has begun in Ukraine.
IRIS-Ts from Germany are already here."
In this video Defense Updates analyzes how delivery of German-made IRIS-T SLM would go
a long way in protecting Ukraine ? Let's get started.
The IRIS-T SL (Surface Launched) is a mobile, medium-range surface-to-air guided missile
designed and developed by Diehl BGT Defence to meet future medium-range air defense needs
of the German Air Force.
The new missile is effective against all types of aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles,
guided weapons, air-to-surface missiles, anti-ship missiles, anti-radar rockets and large-caliber
rockets.
It also has a high 'probability of kill' against unmanned aerial vehicles, unmanned combat
aerial vehicles and other small maneuvering threats at very short and medium-range distances.
IRIS-T SL is an advanced version of the IRIS-T air-to-air guided missile, which entered service
in December 2005.
There are different models of the IRIS-T SL. 1.
A short-range version firing missiles out to 8 miles or 13 km.
It is known as IRIS-T SLS meaning Short Range 2.
A medium-range model with a 25-mile or 40 km reach.
It is known as IRIS-T SLM meaning Medium Range.
This is the one Germany is providing to Kyiv.
A single system has a Truck mounted radar, a Mission Control Truck , 3 Launcher Trucks
with 8 Missiles each and Supply and service vehicles
The vertical-launched, light-weight, interoperable IRIS-T SLM missile can be launched by the
IRIS-T SLM missile launchers.
It can also be integrated with the existing and future air defense systems of allied forces
using a plug-and-fight data interface.
It can engage multiple targets simultaneously.
The guided missile is stored in a fiberglass-fortified canister, which is also used for transport
and launch.
The IRIS-T SLM launcher vehicle can deploy up to 8 missiles.
The missile has a pre-fragmented warhead and offers 360° defense against air attacks in
homeland defense or international missions.
The missile is propelled by an advanced rocket motor fitted with an integrated thrust vector
control system.
The IRIS-T SLM missile is equipped with a global positioning system (GPS) / inertial
navigation system (INS) technology for autonomous navigation.
A radiofrequency (RF) data link is incorporated to transmit virtual target data from an external
radar to the missile during the flight.
A high-precision passive infrared seeker is incorporated to provide missile guidance,
increased countermeasure resistance, and high target accuracy.
The missile's compact control section incorporates motor drivers, four independent fin lock devices,
close loop position control, power conversion, and self-test capability.
It offers enhanced position accuracy and high reliability.
The control section also has high torque capability enabling it to pursue fast and agile targets
like a modern fighter jet.
The missile is equipped with an 11.4 kg or 25 kg, high-explosive fragmentation Warhead
IRIS-T SLM has very good ECM-resistance and flare suppression
It is interesting to note that during the Monday morning missile strikes, the German
Foreign Ministry said, a large building housing a German consulate in Kyiv was damaged.
However, it added that the office had not been in use since the war broke out.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock had said that Germany would do "everything
it can" to help quickly bolster Ukraine's air defenses.
Baerbock wrote on Twitter.
"It is despicable and unjustifiable for Putin to bombard large cities and civilians with
missiles,"
While Ukraine has been able to hold off Russia from achieving air superiority using the aging
Soviet-era air defense arsenal, the state of the art German will add a much-needed boost.
The IRIS-T SLM is able to intercept fast-moving and miniature targets, such as air-to-air/surface-to-air
missiles and air-to-surface/surface-to-surface missiles and rockets, UAV/drones, and cruise
missiles apart from fighter jets and bombers.
It is an ideal solution for Ukraine and would go a long way in protecting it from further
Russian attacks.