Image source: topwar.ru
Any military equipment entering service with the German army must strictly comply with established safety standards. Therefore, the Bundeswehr cannot start operating the IRIS-T SLM medium-range air defense system from 2024.
This is reported by the German Defense Network portal.
Several obstacles to the start of operation of the new equipment were identified at once, the main of which was the non-compliance with the safety standards of the Federal Republic of Germany of the crane of the transport-loading vehicle of the anti-aircraft missile system. Because of this, it cannot be certified, and the air defense system cannot begin to perform its functions.
It is worth paying attention to the fact that the equipment entered service with the Bundeswehr in September last year, but it is still at the testing stage.
Image source: topwar.ru
Such complexes had not yet been delivered to the German Armed Forces, but were only supplied to Ukraine, where they solved real combat tasks. At the same time, a crane that had not passed certification was used on the ZRK transport and loading machine. Now, on a system that has entered service with the Bundeswehr, such a mechanism must be dismantled and replaced with a certified one, which has not been tested in real combat conditions.
For this and other reasons, permission to start operating the air defense system will be received no earlier than the end of 2025.
The solemn ceremony of adopting the IRIS-T SLM air defense system took place last September at the Todendorf military base. The German Chancellor Olaf Scholz personally attended the event.
