Germany is modernizing IRIS-T missiles: Defense Express found out what will change

The German company Diehl Defence has received a contract to work on a modernized IRIS-T missile in the Block II version. Defense Express found out how the new modification of the missile will differ from the one currently used, in particular, by the Ukrainian Defense Forces.

It is noted that Diehl Defence did not disclose the characteristics of the IRIS-T Block II. However, some information was announced earlier.

In December, the Bundestag approved 38 defense projects for a total of 21 billion euros, the publication recalled. The list also mentioned work on IRIS-T Block II, for which they pledged to allocate 25 million euros.

The publication emphasized that, according to Diehl Defence Chief Program Officer Harald Busek, who gave a speech at the ILA air show in Berlin last year, the Block II version will receive a new homing head, new electronics and the ability to exchange data in flight.

Most likely, the parameters of the target destruction range for the air version of IRIS-T Block II will remain 25 kilometers, the publication believes. The weight of the warhead will also not change at 11.4 kg.

However, the speed of response, range and quality of target acquisition, as well as noise immunity and other parameters related to the update of the electronic component base, will be better than in the previous modification of the missile, the publication said. In addition, clarification on data exchange in flight may allow the missile to be re-targeted after launch.

Work on IRIS-T Block II allows us to expect that similar innovations will be integrated into the IRIS-T SLM anti-aircraft missile, which has a range of destruction of targets up to 40 kilometers. The publication added that they have already been integrated into the latest version of the IRIS-T SLX anti-aircraft missile with a range of 80 kilometers.