IRIS-T SLM emerges as Europe’s fastest-growing air defense system
The German-made IRIS-T SLM has become part of the backbone of European medium-range air defense, with at least eight nations ordering systems through the European Sky Shield Initiative framework since 2023. Diehl Defence has scaled production capacity by a factor of ten and invested approximately €1 billion to meet surging demand, with confirmed European contract values exceeding €3.6 billion. However, production still cannot match combined European and Ukrainian demand, creating multi-year delivery backlogs extending to 2030. Continue reading IRIS-T SLM emerges as Europe’s fastest-growing air defense system
