IRIS-T
| IRIS-T | |
|---|---|
Mockup of the IRIS-T | |
| Type | |
| Place of origin | Germany, Italy, Sweden, Greece, Norway, Spain |
| Service history | |
| In service | December 2005 |
| Used by | See operators |
| Wars | Russo-Ukrainian War |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Diehl Defence, Avio S.p.A., Litton Italia, Leonardo S.p.A., Saab AB, GPCC, Nammo |
| Unit cost | €140 million (complete IRIS-T SLM battery, FY 2022) €400,000 (~US$473080) for an AAM €564,608 (~US$632,064) for an IRIS-T SL missile |
| No. built | > 5,000 missiles (as of December 2023) |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 87.4 kg (193 lb) |
| Length | 2.94 m (9.6 ft) |
| Diameter | AAM: 127 mm (5.0 in) IRIS-T SL: 152 mm (6.0 in) |
| Wingspan | 447 mm (17.6 in) |
| Warhead | Dual-layer HE/fragmentation |
| Warhead weight | 11.4 kg (25 lb) |
Detonation mechanism | Impact and active radar proximity fuse |
| Engine | Solid-fuel rocket |
| Propellant | HTPB |
Operational range |
|
| Flight ceiling |
|
| Flight altitude | Sea level to 20,000 m (66,000 ft) |
| Maximum speed | AAM: Mach 3 SLS: 680 m/s |
Guidance system | Infrared homing SLX: combined radar and infrared guidance |
Steering system | 4 exhaust vanes and 4 tail wings |
Launch platform | Air-to-air: McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet, McDonnell Douglas F-4 AUP, Northrop F-5M Super Tigris, General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, Saab JAS 39 Gripen, Leonardo M-346 Master, Panavia Tornado, Eurofighter Typhoon, KAI T-50 Golden Eagle, KAI KF-21 Boramae Ground-to-air: IRIS-T SLS, IRIS-T SLM, IRIS-T SLX, NASAMS-3 |
The IRIS-T (infrared imaging system tail/thrust vector-controlled) is a family of short range infrared homing air-to-air and short to medium range surface-to-air missiles. It is also called AIM-2000.
The missile was developed in the late 1990s–early 2000s by a German-led program to produce a short to medium range infrared homing air-to-air missile to replace the AIM-9 Sidewinder in use by some NATO member countries at the time. A goal of the program was for any aircraft capable of firing the Sidewinder to also be capable of launching the IRIS-T. The air-to-air variant was fielded in 2005.
Surface-to-air defence systems variants came later, with the short-range IRIS-T SLS fielded in 2015, and the medium-range IRIS-T SLM fielded in 2022. One IRIS-T SLM battery, as supplied by Germany to Ukraine, consists of three truck-mounted launchers, carrying eight missiles each (with a range of 40 kilometres or 25 miles), and a separate command vehicle that can be positioned up to 20 kilometres (12 mi) away. The command vehicle integrates multiple radar sources, and is able to launch and track all 24 missiles simultaneously. The IRIS-T SLM can counter cruise missiles, including low-flying, stealthy missiles such as the Kalibr.