Ukrainian forces will get another tranche of military assistance comprised of air defense systems by the end of this year, including an IRIS-T surface-to-air missile system and "more than a dozen" Gepard anti-air artillery systems, Bloomberg reports. The deadlines for a delivery that has been prepared in Germany for a while now, were revealed to the journalists by anonymous sources.
Once they arrive on the ground, these weapons will help Ukraine to defend the "grain corridor" – maritime shipping routes carrying grain from Ukrainian ports for export. Air defenses will be placed near the southern coast for that purpose, the sources claimed.
Read more: IRIS-T Perfectly Shoots Down russian Cruise Missiles in Ukraine, So Germans Increase Pace of Production of the SAM Systems, Missiles
German lawmaker Marcus Faber partly confirmed the information, as he was speaking on the additional IRIS-T, Gepar guns, and ammunition:
"Ukraine will use those units to better protect its grain ports, for example," Faber said, without providing details.
The Gepards are expected to arrive by the end of this year, and the IRIS-T launchers will "follow once they have been built." Bloomberg does not specify which type of IRIS-T is in question: for a reminder, there are two kinds with different specifications, the Surface Launched Medium Range (SLM) and Surface Launched Short Range (SLS), respectively.
IRIS-T has proven to be extremely effective in Ukraine, as noted by Ukrainian Air Force Command and supported by statistics: this system has already destroyed 110 air targets, mostly cruise missiles with a success rate nearing 100%, which has already prompted the manufacturer to increase the production of spare missiles.
As for Gepard anti-aircraft artillery systems, those have shown to be especially effective against iranian Shahed-136/131 drones widely employed by russian forces for strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure. It is also very efficient in terms of ammunition spending, as it takes only a few short bursts to eliminate an incoming UAV from kilometers away.
Earlier Defense Express shared the details about new advanced reconnaissance systems German company Rheinmetall was awarded by Berlin to supply to the Ukrainian Army. Highly automated, the SurveilSpire drone defense system operates own mini-drones and detection cameras for day and night all-round surveillance.
Read more: Rheinmetall to Supply Ukraine with Advanced Reconnaissance Systems
