How powerful is Germany's Iris-T SLM air defense system that makes two Baltic countries spend billions of dollars to own it?

On September 11, Latvia and Estonia signed a memorandum of understanding on participating in the project to purchase the Iris-T SLM air defense system worth about more than one billion USD.

Hệ thống phòng không Iris-T SLM của Đức. (Nguồn: Diehl Defence)

German Iris-T SLM air defense system. (Source: Diehl Defence)

The information comes at a time when Baltic states are increasingly concerned about the regional security situation.

Designed in Germany, the Iris-T SLM is a medium-range air defense system equipped with a missile weighing 87.4 kg and measuring 2.94 meters in length.

One of the most notable features of this system is the speed of the missile, which can reach Mach 3. The high speed allows the system to react quickly to airborne threats.

In terms of operating range, the Iris-T SLM can target objects up to 40 km away. This range makes it suitable for defense against medium and long-range aerial threats.

The decision by Latvia and Estonia to jointly purchase the Iris-T SLM system was influenced by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Germany has already supplied a number of Iris-T systems to Ukraine.

The system has proven effective with a nearly 100% intercept success rate, shooting down more than 110 targets, including cruise missiles and drones.

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