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Germany Announced When the IRIS-T Medium-Range Air Defense System Is Ready for Ukraine

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IRIS-T SLM​​ missile launch / Illustrative photo from open sources
IRIS-T SLM​​ missile launch / Illustrative photo from open sources

IRIS-T SLM is medium-range air defense system with the ability to destroy targets at a distance of up to 40 km and 20 km in height

The new IRIS-T SLM anti-aircraft missile complex by Diehl BGT Defense, which Germany plans to hand over to Ukraine, will be ready by the end of summer. It was announced by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany Annalena Baerbock for Deutsche Welle interview.

"We will send IRIS-T to Ukraine, one of the most modern air defense systems, which is currently only at the production stage and, hopefully, will be ready by the end of summer," the Minister said.

Read more: 149 Days of the War: Russian Casualties in Ukraine
Germany Announced When the IRIS-T Medium-Range Air Defense System Is Ready for Ukraine, Defense Express, war in Ukraine, Russian-Ukrainian war
The IRIS-T SLM air defense system includes a control station, a radar, several launchers and support vehicles / Illustrative photo from open sources

But the completion of the IRIS-T SLM production may not mean its transfer to Ukraine by the end of the summer. The fact is that the system has yet to be mastered by the Ukrainian military. At the same time, the training period can take weeks or even months, as the medium-range anti-aircraft missile system is a very complex high-tech weapon.

Also, Annalena Baerbock answered journalists' questions about criticism of the pace and volume of arms supplies to Ukraine, saying that Germany provides the maximum possible support, and the Bundeswehr reserves "do not contain everything that Ukraine needs", and in general "this is not a race for a place in the rating".

Germany Announced When the IRIS-T Medium-Range Air Defense System Is Ready for Ukraine, Defense Express, war in Ukraine, Russian-Ukrainian war
The IRIS-T SLM uses a missile with a thermal homing warhead / Illustrative photo from open sources

Defense Express reminds, earlier the Minister of Defense of Germany Christine Lambrecht said that Germany has few opportunities left to transfer weapons from the Bundeswehr to Ukraine. At the same time, Berlin has already announced that they are ready to provide Ukraine with Leopard 2 tanks, but only 20 units and from May 2023 at a rate of 1-3 machines per month.

Read more: ​Poland Continues to Reinforce Ukraine With Armor, Now the BMP-1 On the Turn (Video)