During an interview published on September 28, 2022, by the eurointegration.com.ua website, German Ambassador to Ukraine Anka Feldhusen announced that Germany will provide Ukraine with four batteries of IRIS-T air defense missile systems. These systems are still in production and the first IRIS-T and first air defense system will be completed at the end of October 2022.
The IRIS-T air defense systems are manufactured specifically for Ukraine, and they are not in service with the German army, added the German Ambassador to Ukraine Anka Feldhuzen.
Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Germany has shown its involvement in helping Ukraine with the supply of a large quantity of military equipment and combat vehicles including 30 self-propelled anti-aircraft guns GEPARD, one counter-battery radar system COBRA, 54 M113 armored personnel carriers, 10 self-propelled howitzers Panzerhaubitze 2000, 3 multiple rocket launchers MARS II M270 with ammunition as well as ammunition and individual equipment for soldiers.
Based on the IRIS-T, the German company Diehl Defense has developed the IRIS-T SL, a land-based version. The missile can be launched from a vertical launcher station which can be mounted on wheeled or tracked combat vehicles. The IRIS-T SLM is the medium-range version of the IRIS-T SL.
The missile of the IRIS-T SLM has a maximum firing range of 40 km and an altitude of up to 20 km. The command and fire control vehicle is used to conduct the analysis of the threats and transmit firing orders to the launcher units. The vehicle is connected via a network to superior combat operation centers. The multi-function radar is able to detect aerial threats at a maximum range of 200 km on 360°. It can detect up to 500 objects at the same time.