According to Reuters, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced that Ukraine has received a new IRIS-T air defense launcher from Germany, further bolstering Kiev’s efforts to protect its cities and critical infrastructure from Russian missile and drone attacks.“Ukraine received a new IRIS-T air defense launcher from Germany yesterday,” Zelensky said, highlighting Berlin’s continued military support for Ukraine.The latest delivery joins Germany’s previous transfer of IRIS-T systems. In August 2023, Zelensky announced that Ukraine had received two additional IRIS-T launchers, calling them an important addition to the country’s air defense network.“Two new IRIS-T launchers have been delivered to Ukraine. This is a powerful and much-needed air defense system,” he said at the time.The IRIS-T SLM is a German-made medium-range surface-to-air missile system developed by Diehl Defence. It is designed to intercept a wide range of aerial threats, including aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles, drones and precision-guided munitions.The strike range of this system is up to 40 kilometers and it can hit targets at an altitude of up to 20 kilometers. A typical IRIS-T battery consists of missile launchers, a TRML-4D radar, a command-and-control unit, and support vehicles.Radar detects incoming threats and transmits targeting information to the command center, while missiles receive mid-course updates before using the infrared imaging seeker to lock on to and destroy the target.Ukraine has relied heavily on IRIS-T systems since 2022 to defend urban centers and critical infrastructure against Russian air attacks. The system has earned a reputation for effectively intercepting cruise missiles and Iranian-designed Shahid drones frequently deployed by Russian forces.Germany remains one of Ukraine’s biggest military supporters and has supplied several air defense systems as Kiev seeks to strengthen its layered air-defense network against ongoing missile and drone barrages.