The IRIS-T air defense system is still under construction. It will be ready by the end of summer.
The IRIS-T air defense system promised to Ukraine is still in the production phase in Germany. It will be ready for transfer to Ukraine by the end of summer. German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock said this in an interview with DW.
“Our problem, like many European states, is that not everything Ukraine needs is in stock. Therefore, we will send to Ukraine, for example, IRIS-T, one of the most modern air defense systems, which is now in production and hopefully will be ready by the end of the summer. And yes, we are always evaluating what else can be done to further support Ukraine,” Burbock said.
At the same time, he emphasized that the supply of weapons and, in general, aid to Ukraine “is not a race for a place in the ranking.”
“We are talking about joint support for Ukraine from the entire international community, NATO member countries. And that is why we have combined our support with the support provided by others, due to several categories we don’t have everything in stock. For example, together with the Netherlands we provide howitzers. Part of what we’re trying to do is get ammunition from other countries because we don’t have the right ones,” Burbock said.
He also added that Germany is considering different types of support: in matters of investigation, medical assistance, accepting refugees and providing financial assistance.
IRIS-T (Infra Red Imaging System Tail / Thrust Vector-Controlled) – infrared homing missiles. There are two versions of IRIS-T surface-to-air missiles for air defense: short-range IRIS-T SLS and medium-range IRIS-T SLM.
IRIS-T SLM testing was completed in January 2022. In April 2022, these missiles were delivered, in particular, to Egypt. Their maximum firing range is 40 km, height – 20 km.
It was previously reported that the Bundestag was in favor of direct delivery of heavy weapons to Kyiv.
Recall that Ukraine agreed to purchase the German IRIS-T air defense system in June.
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Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.