Germany is moving to put the IRIS-T SLM air defense system aboard its F125 frigates after a successful shipboard demonstration.
Diehl Defence and the country’s defense procurement agency signed a contract on October 2 to adapt the ground-based system for naval use.
The work follows a maritime firing exercise involving the frigate Baden-Württemberg in October last year.
No production schedule or number of operational systems has been announced. The current contract instead covers the development and testing needed to make IRIS-T SLM mission-capable aboard the frigates.
Diehl Defence said that the integration “ensures that the navy will be able to counter future airspace threat scenarios using state-of-the-art technology.”
IRIS-T SLM
IRIS-T SLM is a medium-range ground-based air defense system developed by Diehl. The system is designed to engage threats including aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles, and drones.
A typical fire unit combines mobile missile launchers, a radar, and a Common Tactical Operations Center that handles airspace surveillance, threat assessment, and fire control.
The IRIS-T SLM interceptor is derived from the IRIS-T air-to-air missile and is designed for surface-to-air engagements. Diehl lists an effective interceptor range of about 40 kilometers (24 miles) and altitude coverage of up to 20 kilometers (12 miles).
For the F125, Germany is adapting that architecture rather than simply placing a standard ground-based launcher on a ship. The 2025 demonstrator linked the naval system to the frigate’s existing architecture, including its sensors and combat systems, during live testing.
