Estonia has received the first InfraRed Imaging System Tail/Thrust Surface-Launched Medium (IRIS-T SLM) medium-range ground-based air defence unit from Diehl Defence at Ämari Air Base.
The system was delivered to Estonian Air Defence Wing, a military unit within Estonian Air Force on 22 June 2026.
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With this delivery, Estonia becomes the latest NATO member state to deploy the IRIS-T SLM, as it seeks to strengthen its ability to defend its airspace. Until now, the airbase has hosted an Italian SAMP/T system as part of the country’s responsibility as a Nato rotational contingent.
The procurement, valued at approximately €400m ($455.4m), marks the largest defence investment in Estonia’s history, according to the Estonian Centre for Defence Investments (ECDI), which managed the acquisition with Diehl Defence.
In total, ECDI has ordered three IRIS-T SLM fire units for the Estonian Defence Forces, with the remaining units due for delivery next year.
The IRIS-T SLM system is designed to counter threats from aircraft, helicopters, drones, and cruise missiles. The equipment can operate at ranges up to approximately 40km and at altitudes up to 20km.
Each fire unit includes several launchers, a radar, and a tactical control centre, in addition to supporting vehicles for maintenance and reloading.
Operational data from previous deployments, particularly in Ukraine, indicate an interception success rate above 95% for the IRIS-T SLM, according to Diehl Defence.remaining units due for delivery next year.
Estonia Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur said: “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’s actions from significantly greater distances and altitudes than 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”.
The delivery to Estonia takes place under the framework of the European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI), a procurement structure established by Germany in 2022 to build an integrated ground-based air defence network among European partners.
Currently, 23 countries are part of ESSI, with eight including Germany, Estonia, Latvia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Sweden, Denmark, and Switzerland, having procured the IRIS-T SLM.
The ESSI contractual framework is intended to enable faster procurement and foster long-term collaboration in areas such as training, logistics, and maintenance.
Latvia, which entered into a joint procurement agreement with Estonia, finalised a €600m purchase order with Diehl Defence for the IRIS-T SLM system in November 2023.
Deliveries for Latvia are also scheduled to begin this year.
