IRIS-T SLM Reports Successful Ballistic Missile Intercepts

Picture: Ukrainian Air Force

According to Oleksii Makeiev, Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany, the German IRIS-T SLM system has reportedly succeeded in intercepting ballistic missiles, as revealed in an interview with European Pravda on July 28.

Citing Ukrainian military reports, Makeiev stated that IRIS-T SLM — though according to the manufacturer not originally designed for this purpose — had in some cases managed shot down ballistic missiles. He offered no details regarding the missile types or engagement conditions.

Diehl Defence has also declined to comment on specific incidents. A spokesperson only noted that “the customer has repeatedly expressed a satisfaction rate of 100 percent”, a figure likely reflecting the system’s performance against long-range drones and cruise missiles rather than ballistic threats.

Interception of ballistic missiles

The ability of IRIS-T SLM to counter ballistic missile threats is not a total surprise but likely highly dependent on the type of incoming ballistic missile and the conditions of the engagement.

The German Bundeswehr, for example, explicitly lists short-range ballistic missiles as part of the system’s engagement envelope. As stated on the official Bundeswehr website: “The IRIS-T SLM system from Diehl Defence is considered the most advanced, combat-proven, and modular air defense missile system for countering airborne attacks. It provides 360-degree protection from close range up to medium distances (effective range 40 kilometers) and engages enemy aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles, and guided weapons, including short-range ballistic missiles”.

Without additional information, it is impossible to determine which specific ballistic missiles were intercepted in the cases cited by the ambassador.

According to well-informed sources, one key factor behind the air defense system’s high success rate is its use of Hensoldt’s TRML-4D high-precision radar. This radar allows the system to guide an IRIS-T missile with great accuracy toward its target before the interceptor’s terminal guidance seeker takes over, increasing the likelihood of a successful intercept.

The radar is integrated with long-range sensors, which provide early warning and target data to the IRIS-T SLM. This enables the system to detect and track a broad spectrum of ballistic threats. If paired with a sufficiently detailed threat database, the system could — in theory — generate effective fire control solutions against ballistic missile threats and guide interceptors accordingly, at least within the system’s optimal engagement envelope.

IRIS-T SLM-like systems intercepting ballistic missiles would also not be unprecedented. Missile defense systems have been able to intercept missile threats they are not nominally