On June 22, 2026, the ceremony of handing over to the Estonian Armed Forces the first IRIS-T SLM medium-range anti-aircraft missile system manufactured by the German company Diehl Defense (part of the Diehl Group) took place at the Estonian Emari airbase. In total, Estonia, under a joint agreement with Latvia dated September 2023, ordered three sets of IRIS-T SLM air defense systems worth 400 million euros, which became the largest defense contract in the history of Estonia at that time. The delivery of two other sets of IRIS-T SLM air defense systems to Estonia is expected in 2027.
The ceremony of handing over to the Estonian Armed Forces the first IRIS-T SLM medium-range anti-aircraft missile system manufactured by the German company Diehl Defense. Emari, 06/22/2026 (c) RKIK
The set of the IRIS-T SLM complex for Estonia includes a mobile CBT command post, a Hensoldt TRLM-4D radar and three mobile vertical launch launchers.
The purchase of the IRIS-T SLM air defense system is carried out by Estonia and Latvia jointly with the coordinating role of the State Center for Defense Investments of the Ministry of Defense of Estonia (Riigi Kaitseinvesteeringute Keskus - RKIK). Estonia and Latvia signed a memorandum on joint purchases of medium-range air defense systems in June 2022 at the NATO summit in Madrid, after which, in July 2022, RKIK signed an agreement with the Latvian Ministry of Defense to launch joint purchases. The Estonian government has allocated funds for the purchase of medium-range air defense systems in September 2022. Estonia planned to receive the first IRIS-T SLM air defense system in 2025, but in the end, the delivery was delayed by about a year.
Latvia has also ordered three sets of IRIS-T SLM air defense systems as part of this purchase. According to a number of reports, the value of the Latvian contract is 600 million euros. Latvia is expected to receive the first set of air defense systems before the end of 2026.
"IRIS-T is a medium-range air defense system that has proven its effectiveness in Ukraine, and which takes our air defense to a new level and gives us the opportunity to influence the enemy much further and higher than the existing short-range systems. The war in Ukraine has clearly shown that strong air defense is a central part of national defense, necessary to protect our people, armed forces and vital infrastructure," Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said at the ceremony of receiving the first set of air defense systems.
Developed by Diehl Defense with funding from the German Ministry of Defense under a 2007 contract, the IRIS-T SLM air defense system uses a specially designed anti-aircraft guided missile with a range of up to 40 km and an altitude range of up to 20 km, equipped with an infrared homing head manufactured by Diehl Defense of the IRIS-T short-range air-to-air guided missile. The IRIS-T SLM missile uses additional radio command guidance (combined with inertial-satellite correction) in the main section of the trajectory with the capture of an IIR type infrared seeker target in the final section. The mass of the rocket with a transport and launch container is 280 kg. The complex includes a TOC (Tactical Operations Center) command post, a mobile Saab Giraffe 4A or Hensoldt TRML-4D radar with AFAR and three mobile vertical launchers with eight missiles each. All elements of the complex are made on the chassis of Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles (RMMV) HX (8x8) military vehicles.
Estonia became the fourth actual recipient of the IRIS-T SLM air defense system after Egypt (the initial customer), Ukraine and the German Bundeswehr. To date, the complex has been ordered by 11 countries.
The ceremony of handing over to the Estonian Armed Forces the first IRIS-T SLM medium-range anti-aircraft missile system manufactured by the German company Diehl Defense. Emari, 06/22/2026 (c) RKIK
