German Navy test-fires IRIS-T SLM from frigate

Baden-Württemberg test firing IRIS-T SLM during MFE 2025. (Diehl Defence)

The German Navy test-fired a navalised IRIS-T SLM (Surface Launched Medium Range) air-defence system from the F125 frigate Baden-Württemberg during Maritime Firing Exercise (MFE) 2025 ‘Andøya' off the coast of Norway for the first time, the Bundesamt für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr (BAAINBw), Germany's Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology, and In-Service Support, and Diehl Defence have announced.

The BAAINBw said on its website on 16 October that the test firing of three missiles took place at night on the high seas, with Diehl reporting a high hit rate the day before. During the firing exercise, the frigate's radar system continuously delivered data that was fed directly into the air-defence system, the first time a functional link was established between ship sensors and the weapon system, allowing the firing of all three missiles, according to the BAAINBw.

Test data is now being evaluated by BAAINBw specialists to determine possible adjustments for series procurement, with the final order volume yet to be determined. The BAAINBw said the test marked a decisive step towards a more flexible and modern Germany Navy.

The integration of the IRIS-T SLM system into a frigate was an initiative of the German Navy as a result of the experiences of EU Naval Force (EUNAFOR) Operation ‘Aspides' against Houthi missile attacks on shipping in the Red Sea involving the F124 air-defence frigate Hessen.

The BAAINBw awarded Diehl a feasibility study for the integration of IRIS-T SLM, including a system demonstrator, in December 2024. The office said the project took only eight months after the contract with Diehl for Baden-Württemberg