Estonia Receives First IRIS-T SLM Air Defence System from Diehl Defence - EUROPE SAYS
The Estonian Air Defence Wing received its first IRIS-T SLM medium-range air defence missile system from Diehl Defence at Ämari Air Base, giving the country the ability to engage air threats from greater. . .
The Estonian Air Defence Wing received its first IRIS-T SLM medium-range air defence missile system from Diehl Defence at Ämari Air Base, giving the country the ability to engage air threats from greater distances and altitudes than the existing short-range systems, the Estonian Defence ForcesannouncedJune 22. Commander of the Estonian Air Force Brigadier General Riivo Valge said the delivery opens a new chapter for the Estonian Defence Forces. “This is an important day for the Estonian Defence Forces and for the Estonian Air Force. We are only beginning our journey in building up our air defence, and although it may take us months to give our operators the necessary training and bring this system to the field, we are still about to have a significant qualitative leap in air defence capabilities,” he said. A handover ceremony marking the delivery of the first IRIS-T SLM fire unit to Estonia at Ämari Air Base, June 22. (Estonian Defence Forces)Valge added that the system’s engagement altitude is its most decisive advantage. “When this system is deployed in the field, the enemy has to take it into account and find alternative trajectories. And because this system is tactically agile, the enemy has to make those decisions under time pressure, creating conditions for errors that we can exploit. ”According to informationpublishedby Diehl Defence, the IRIS-T SLM (InfraRed Imaging System Tail/Thrust vector-controlled Surface-Launched Medium range) is designed to counter aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles and drones at ranges of up to 40 kilometers and altitudes of up to 20 kilometers. A fire unit comprises a missile launcher, radar and tactical operations center, supported by maintenance, spare parts and reloading vehicles. IRIS-T SLM dummy training missile rounds on the launcher at Ämari Air Base, Estonia, June 22. (Estonian Defence Forces)The company also states that the system provides true 360-degree coverage, can engage multiple targets simultaneously with minimal manpower and has achieved an interception success rate of more than 95 percent during operational use in Ukraine. “IRIS-T is a medium-range air defence system that has proven itself in Ukraine, and it brings our air defence to a new level, giving us the ability to engage an adversary from significantly greater distances and altitudes than with our existing short-range systems. The war in Ukraine has clearly shown that a strong air defence is a central part of national defence, essential for protecting our people, our defence forces’ units, and critical infrastructure,” said Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur. The IRIS-T SLM missile launcher and radar unit on display at Ämari Air Base, Estonia, June 22. (Estonian Defence Forces)The delivery is part of a frameworkagreementsigned with Diehl Defence in autumn 2023, together with Latvia, covering three fire units at a total cost of 400 million euros and representing the largest defence investment in Estonia’s history. The agreement was reached under the European Sky Shield Initiative, a project initiated by Germany in 2022 to establish an integrated European ground-based air defence system, which now comprises 23 member states, eight of which have procured IRIS-T SLM: Germany, Estonia, Latvia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Sweden, Denmark and Switzerland. According to Director General of the Estonian Centre for Defence Investments (ECDI) Elmar Vaher, the remaining two fire units are set to arrive next year. Once all three are operational, the Air Defence Wing, established within the Estonian Air Force on July 1, 2023, will take on the task of ensuring the inviolability of Estonian airspace, while also reinforcing the broader security of the region through NATO’s integrated network. “With every system we deliver, we strengthen our partners’ defence capabilities, make a measurable contribution to the NATO alliance’s security architecture, and thereby also help protect the Estonian people,” said Helmut Rauch, CEO of Diehl Defence. Tags:Diehl Defence,ESSI,Estonia,European Sky Shield,IRIS-T SLM