On February 8, the Air Command West of the Ukrainian Air Force published a report about a combat episode in which the crew of a German IRIS-T air defense system successfully shot down a russian Kh-101 cruise missile. This was noted by the launcher commander, identified as Roman.
Air Command West also released a photo of the IRIS-T air defense system, marking the first official image of this system in its short-range version.
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Moreover, the most interesting detail in the released image is that the four-missile launcher is mounted on an Iveco Eurocargo 4×4 truck chassis.
For reference, in 2018, the manufacturer of the IRIS-T system, the German defense company Diehl Defence, demonstrated the SLS (Surface Launched Standard) version based on the tracked Bv 410 chassis with an integrated Saab Giraffe 1X radar.
A year later, in 2019, the Swedish Army showcased its IRIS-T SLS under the designation Luftvärnsrobotsystem 98 (lvrbs 98), mounted on the Eldenhet 98 vehicle. This was a specialized version of the same Bv 410 chassis but without an integrated radar.
Additionally, it is worth mentioning that in 2022, Diehl Defence presented a new version of the IRIS-T SLS Mk. III system, based on a modified Mowag Eagle 6×6 armored vehicle. This variant represents a highly mobile air defense system with an integrated radar and command system.
As a reminder, according to the German government, five IRIS-T SLS systems, each equipped with two launchers (a total of 10 launchers), have already been delivered to Ukraine as part of military aid. At least seven more systems (14 additional launchers) are planned for delivery.
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