In an effort to strengthen its defense capabilities, Ukraine has confirmed that it will purchase more IRIS-T SLM/SLS air defense systems from Germany, manufactured by Diehl Defence and set to form part of a broader military assistance package prepared by Berlin. The development was also reaffirmed by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who, במסגרת a new meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, took part in the signing of the corresponding agreement to move forward with the operation alongside his Ukrainian counterpart Mykhailo Fedorov.
Expanding on the details, it should be noted that both Diehl Defence and the German defense ministry omitted precise information regarding how many IRIS-T launchers would ultimately be sent to Ukraine as part of this new package, although current reports indicate that it could involve around 36 units. If ultimately finalized, the delivery would represent an important boost to Kyiv’s current capabilities to defend its airspace, after months in which the number of air defense systems and missiles sent by its European allies had declined.
It is worth recalling at this point that the IRIS-T systems were already part of Ukraine’s air defense network, so anti-aircraft artillery units should have no major problems integrating the new units into their ranks. As background, it is useful to mention that during May 2025, reports indicated that contracts worth more than 2.2 billion euros had been awarded to the aforementioned German manufacturer to finance the production of more IRIS-T systems and the missiles that equip them, with funds also intended to reinforce their production within Ukrainian territory.
Beyond the IRIS-T systems mentioned so far, it should also be highlighted that Germany has committed to continue supporting Ukraine through different measures. Among the most notable, one can mention the supply of what Minister Pistorius described as “several hundred Patriot missiles,” which falls within the efforts carried out under the Immediate Action on Air Defence initiative. This has been a priority issue for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who on repeated occasions has asked his partners not to halt the flow of air defense systems to his country, especially after fears of shortages caused by Operation Epic Fury and the resulting delays in deliveries of U.S.-made missiles.
On the other hand, the German defense minister stated that Berlin would also provide more funding to support Ukraine’s efforts to develop capabilities that would allow it to carry out long-range strikes, while also highlighting the signing of a new agreement to facilitate the transfer of battlefield information to factories in order to implement improvements in the systems being produced. Finally, it should be mentioned that the German government is investing an additional 300 million euros so that the Ukrainian Armed Forces can purchase new long-range drones manufactured locally.
Images used for illustrative purposes.
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