Estonia has received its first IRIS-T SLM medium-range air defence missile system, marking a significant step in the country’s effort to strengthen its air defence amid heightened security concerns in the region.

The Estonian Air Defence Wing took delivery of the first mobile IRIS-T SLM system at Ämari Air Base on 22 June. The system, procured by the Estonian Centre for Defence Investments from the German defence company Diehl Defence, will give the Estonian Defence Forces the ability to engage aerial threats at greater distances and altitudes than its existing short-range systems.

Brigadier General Riivo Valge, commander of the Estonian Air Force, described the arrival as an important moment for both the Defence Forces and the Air Force.

“We are only beginning our journey in building up our air defence, and although it may take us months to give our operators the necessary training and bring this system to the field, we are still about to have a significant qualitative leap in air defence capabilities,” Valge said.

An IRIS-T SLM vehicle is unloaded after arriving in Estonia. Photo by Maria Tammeaid.

He added that the system’s greatest advantage was its engagement altitude, which Estonia has not previously possessed in its air defence arsenal.

“When this system is deployed in the field, the enemy has to take it into account and find alternative trajectories. And because this system is tactically agile, the enemy has to make those decisions under time pressure, creating conditions for errors that we can exploit,” Valge said.

A system proven in Ukraine

The IRIS-T SLM, whose name stands for InfraRed Imaging System Tail/Thrust Vector-Controlled Surface-Launched Medium Range, is designed to defend against aircraft, helicopters and cruise missiles. It can operate at ranges of up to about 40 kilometres (25 miles) and altitudes of up to 20 kilometres (12.5 miles).

The system is mobile and can be repositioned quickly, allowing missile squadrons of the Air Defence Wing to respond rapidly to changing operational needs and restrict an adversary’s freedom of action in the air.

Estonia’s first IRIS-T SLM medium-range air defence missile system at Ämari Air Base. Photo by Maria Tammeaid.

Hanno Pevkur, Estonia’s minister of defence, said the system would take Estonia’s air defence to a new level.

“IRIS-T is a medium-range air defence system that has proven itself in Ukraine, and it brings our air defence to a new level, giving us the ability to engage an adversary from significantly greater distances and altitudes than with our existing short-range systems,” Pevkur said.

“The war in Ukraine has clearly shown that a strong air defence is a central part of national defence, essential for protecting our people, our defence forces’ units and critical infrastructure.”

The procurement stems from an agreement signed in autumn 2023 by Estonia and Latvia with Diehl Defence.

A radar unit forming part of Estonia’s new IRIS-T SLM medium-range air defence system. Photo by Maria Tammeaid.

Elmar Vaher, director general of the Estonian Centre for Defence Investments, said Estonia had assessed the system’s full life cycle to ensure that it could remain in service for decades.

The centre has procured three firing units for the Defence Forces. The first has now arrived, while the remaining two are expected in 2027.

Strengthening NATO’s eastern flank

A single IRIS-T SLM fire unit typically consists of several launchers, a radar and a tactical control centre, supported by repair, spare parts and reloading vehicles.

Helmut Rauch, the chief executive of Diehl Defence, said the delivery showed that the company could continue supplying air defence systems despite heavy pressure on the European market.

“With every system we deliver, we strengthen our partners’ defence capabilities, make a measurable contribution to the NATO alliance’s security architecture and thereby also help protect the Estonian people,” Rauch said.

Military vehicles carrying components of Estonia’s new IRIS-T SLM air defence system. Photo by Maria Tammeaid.

Diehl Defence is one of Europe’s leading providers of air defence systems, producing air and missile defence assets as well as ammunition.

The Estonian Air Defence Wing was established within the Estonian Air Force on 1 July 2023. Its task is to help ensure the inviolability of Estonian airspace by planning and carrying out active air defence operations.

The wing also trains conscripts to serve as air defence reservists after completing their compulsory service. Its first conscripts are due to begin service in the Air Force in July. The unit will carry out its air defence tasks in co-operation with other branches of the Estonian Defence Forces and allied units.