Recent posts from defense sources have stirred excitement across social media, claiming that Ukraine’s air defense systems may have done the unthinkable — intercepted Russian ballistic missiles using Germany’s IRIS-T SLM systems.
Closer Look at IRIS-T SLM’s Bold Claim
These claims sparked major interest because ballistic missiles are typically much harder to stop than slower or shorter-range threats.
While the internet buzzed with these reports, experts in military defense took a more cautious approach. Some specialists from Germany decided to dive deep into whether these powerful German systems really could take down ballistic missiles — weapons known for traveling at extremely high speeds and steep angles.
It’s important to understand what makes ballistic missiles so hard to shoot down. These missiles follow a curve-like path, reaching high into the sky before crashing down on targets with incredible force. Stopping them requires not just fast missiles, but also the ability to track and predict their path with great accuracy. That’s why intercepting a ballistic missile is considered one of the toughest tasks in air defense.
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The IRIS-T SLM system is known for defending against aircraft, helicopters, and cruise missiles. But can it really handle ballistic threats? The answer isn’t simple.
What the IRIS-T SLM Tests and Reports Say
Defense experts in Germany studied the performance of the IRIS-T SLM system closely. Their analysis looked at both official documents and how the system has been used in Ukraine so far. They found that, in theory, the IRIS-T SLM system can intercept ballistic missiles — but this would not be its usual job.
In fact, the German military itself has admitted that there is some potential for IRIS-T to work against ballistic threats. However, this is not something the system was originally built to do. Also, there is no official confirmation yet about the exact types of Russian ballistic missiles that Ukraine may have intercepted using IRIS-T.
It’s worth noting that Russia uses several kinds of ballistic weapons in its attacks. Russia originally designed the 9M723 missile from the Iskander system, as well as the S-300 and S-400 missiles, for air defense but has since repurposed them to strike ground targets.
German researchers say that one major advantage Ukraine has is the radar system that comes with IRIS-T SLM — the TRML-4D radar by Hensoldt. This radar is highly advanced and can track extremely fast objects, like artillery shells. In theory, with the right threat information and quick calculations, it could guide the IRIS-T missiles to intercept incoming ballistic threats.
But even with this powerful radar, there are still many challenges. Ballistic missiles move quickly and drop from high in the sky, which gives very little time to react. The IRIS-T SLM system can only operate effectively at lower altitudes and shorter distances, making it best suited for protecting small areas like cities, key buildings, or military bases.
Real-World Lessons and Limits of Missile Interception
There’s a useful example from another part of the world that might help us understand this better. During a short conflict between Israel and Iran, Israel’s Iron Dome system — also not built for stopping ballistic missiles — reportedly succeeded in destroying incoming warheads. This shows that even systems not made for this kind of work might still succeed in special cases.
However, success in one situation does not mean it will work in every case. The success of the IRIS-T SLM against ballistic missiles would likely depend on how fast the missile is, how it flies, and how much time the defenders have to respond.
There’s also a question of resources. Each IRIS-T battery in Ukraine generally carries 8 short-range and 24 medium-range missiles. If Ukraine needs to launch multiple interceptors to stop a single ballistic missile, it could quickly exhaust its available defenses. This point becomes especially important during multiple simultaneous attacks.
German defense analysts clearly stated that the IRIS-T SLM system can intercept ballistic missiles in certain cases, but it does not guarantee success and was not originally designed for that purpose. Still, with advanced radar support and quick reaction times, it may serve as a last layer of defense when no other options are available.