Germany Sends 100 More IRIS-T Missiles to Strengthen Ukraine’s Air Defenses

Germany will soon deliver around 100 guided missiles for IRIS-T air defense systems to Ukraine, the German mission to NATO announced following the 26th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group on February 12.

“Future support for Ukraine, in the form of equipment and military training, was reaffirmed at today’s meeting, which included over 50 countries. Germany will continue to play an important role in this support and announced the delivery of around 100 IRIS-T guided missiles to Ukraine shortly,” the statement read.

The German mission also emphasized the importance of joint ventures with Ukraine’s defense industry, particularly in drone development and the maintenance of infantry fighting vehicles and tanks.

These collaborations, they said, not only strengthen Ukraine’s defense capabilities but also benefit Germany through the mutual exchange of expertise.

According to the monitoring project German Aid to Ukraine, the latest commitment likely refers to previously announced IRIS-T surface-to-air missile shipments.

On January 9, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius pledged to send around 50 IRIS-T missiles during a meeting in the Ramstein format.

A few days later, on January 14, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry announced that Germany would supply an additional 60 missiles following Pistorius’ visit to Kyiv.

By these estimates, Germany’s total IRIS-T missile supply to Ukraine now stands at approximately 110 missiles.

However, it remains unclear whether these missiles are intended for the IRIS-T SLM or IRIS-T SLS system, which differ in range, missile type, and chassis design.

• IRIS-T SLM: Designed to neutralize aircraft, helicopters, drones, and cruise missiles at distances of up to 40 km. The system has already proven highly effective in Ukraine.

• IRIS-T SLS: A shorter-range variant that Ukraine received from Germany in August 2023. It can intercept aerial threats at distances of up to 12 km and altitudes of 8 km. The system uses an infrared-guided IRIS-T missile, modified for ground-based launches.

Earlier, a survey, conducted in Germany showed that a majority of Germans support their country’s supply of weapons to Ukraine and potential participation in a peacekeeping mission.