On Monday, June 22, 2026, the Estonian Ministry of Defence announced that on the same day it received the first of three batteries of the IRIS-T SLM (InfraRed Imaging System Tail/Thrust vector-controlled Surface-Launched Medium range) medium-range air defense system from Germany. The order was jointly announced with Latvia on May 21, 2023.
Photo: Estonian Ministry of Defence
The formal order, worth approximately 400 million EUR, was placed on September 11, 2023, by the Estonian Centre for Defence Investments (ECDI, Kaitseministeerium) with German company Diehl Defence, which is the system’s prime integrator (the Latvians paid approximately 600 million EUR for three batteries, with the difference reflecting the contents of the packages – ed.). Receipt of the first system elements took place at Ämari Air Base. The operator of the system is the Air Defence Wing, formed on July 1, 2023, specifically for the new air defense system, with its headquarters at that base. Deliveries were originally scheduled to begin in 2025.
“This is an important day for the Estonian Defence Forces and for the Estonian 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” said Commander of the Estonian Air Force Brigadier General Riivo Valge. “The greatest advantage of this launch system, which we have not had before, is its engagement altitude, which prevents the enemy from flying over us. 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.”
“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. 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,” said Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur.
Director General of the Estonian Centre for Defence Investments (ECDI) Elmar Vaher said:
“It is good to see that the joint procurement agreement signed in autumn 2023 with Diehl Defence, together with Latvia, has reached an important milestone: the system for establishing a medium-range air defence capability has arrived in Estonia, and the Estonian Defence Forces can begin training. We thoroughly assessed its entire life cycle to ensure that the procured system can also be used successfully decades from now. In doing so, we secured a solution for the Estonian Defence Forces with its capabilities, reliability of supply, and support services meet Estonia’s needs both today and in the future. In total, the ECDI has procured three firing units for the Estonian Defence Forces. The first has now arrived, and the rest will arrive next year.”
“The delivery to Estonia shows that we are able to deliver even under the significant pressure that the European air defence market is currently experiencing. 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,” stated Helmut Rauch, CEO of Diehl Defence.
Diehl Defence is a leading supplier of air defense systems, with a portfolio covering a wide range of air defense and counter-missile systems as well as ammunition.
A Diehl Defence IRIS-T SLM battery consists of a containerized Tactical Operations Center (TOC) with an Airbus Defence Fortion IBMS-FS fire control system, a TRML-4D radar, and three IRIS-T/TCV (Infra-Red Imaging System Tail/Thrust Vector-Controlled) interceptor missile launchers with proximity and impact fuzes. This enables engagement of targets at ranges of up to 40 km and altitudes of up to 20 km. It is an extended-range version of the IRIS-T SLS (Surface-Launched, Short-range) system. Complementary support equipment includes repair vehicles, spare parts, and ammunition transport and loading vehicles.
To date, the standard ground-based system (outside Ukraine, which received it as part of German military aid, and the aforementioned countries – ed.) has been procured by Germany, Denmark, Slovenia, Sweden (also the IRIS-T SLS), and Switzerland, while Austria, Lithuania, and Romania have expressed interest in procurement.
The Air Defence Wing is tasked with ensuring the inviolability of the airspace of the Republic of Estonia through the planning and conduct of active air defense operations. The Wing also trains conscripts for reserve service following the completion of their military service. The first conscripts from the Wing will begin service in the Air Force in July of this year. The Wing will carry out its assigned air defense tasks in cooperation with other units of the Defence Forces and allied units.
Estonia has received its first IRIS-T SLM medium-range air defence system at Ämari Air Base. 🇪🇪🛡️
The combat-proven system strengthens our ability to counter airborne threats at greater ranges and altitudes, marking a major leap forward in Estonia’s air defence capabilities and… pic.twitter.com/ulb8ZJijml
— Estonian Defence Forces | Eesti Kaitsevägi (@Kaitsevagi) June 22, 2026
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