Germany has already transferred nine IRIS-T air defense systems to Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian portal Militarnyi.
This information was announced by Germany’s new ambassador to Ukraine, Haiko Thomsin an interview with Suspenseful. “As far as I know, more IRIS-T systems are expected to be delivered soon,” he said. Currently, Germany is Ukraine’s largest partner in air defense systems.
The system is based on the IRIS-T missile, manufactured by the German company Diehl Defencewhich features an infrared guidance system, upgraded for ground launch. This system locks onto the target during the final phase of flight.
The IRIS-T SLM missiles can reach targets up to 40 km away, while the SLS version can reach targets up to 12 km.
Although Thoms acknowledged that this assistance is still insufficient, he recalled that at the end of 2025 Germany also transferred two additional Patriot systems to Ukraine and continues to supply ammunition for air defense systems.
“I know this is still not enough. As I said before, I also live here and understand the situation, I know the reality. But we are doing everything we can and making every effort to support Ukraine,” the ambassador added.
However, despite Thoms’ statement, Germany’s Defense Minister Boris Pistorius recently emphasized that Berlin could no longer transfer Patriot systems from its stocks to Ukraine, having already transferred more than a third of its existing arsenal.
Germany’s contribution was described by Pistorius as “disproportionately large” compared to other allies. After transferring two Patriot systems and the IRIS-T systems, the minister stated in December that he planned to supply AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles to Ukraine.
Photo: Diehl Defense. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
