Latvia signs order for German IRIS-T air defenses

MILAN — The Latvian government has inked a contract worth roughly €600 million ($650 milliion) with Germany’s Diehl Defence for the company’s IRIS-T medium-range air defense system, the manufacturer announced on Monday.

The deal, signed on Nov. 30, is the Baltic country’s “biggest defense investment since its independence more than 30 years ago,” Diehl said in a statement. It follows a framework agreement the company previously signed with Latvia and Estonia in September.

“The joint procurement by the two Baltic nations of one type of air defense system will allow them to save budgetary funds, facilitate mutual coordination in the defense of the Baltic States region and the interoperability of systems and components,” the Dec. 4 Diehl statement reads.

Under the contract, Riga is to begin receiving IRIS-T components in 2026.

The Latvian and Estonian governments have been vocal regarding their interest in jointly procuring these types of weapons to establish a multi-layered air defense system amid Russian threats to Baltic security.

In recent comments made to Polish media by Jacek Siewiera, head of Poland’s National Security Bureau, he warned that states making up NATO’s eastern flank have roughly three years to effectively prepare for a potential confrontation with Russia.

The IRIS-T SLM is designed to neutralize threats posed by a variety of enemy aerial systems such as aircraft, cruise missiles, drones and helicopters operating at ranges of up to 40 km (25 miles), per Diehl’s website.

The Ukrainian military has said its forces are employing donated IRIS-T batteries to great effect in protecting population centers. Last month, the German Ministry of Defense announced that four additional IRIS-T SLM would be sent to Kyiv as part of a military aid package worth over $1.4 billion.

The reported successful success in intercepting Russian drones and missiles has become a theme in Diehl’s sales pitches. In its announcement regarding the Latvia order, the company said that the system “convinces with its excellent performance in Ukraine.”

Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo was a Europe correspondent for Defense News. She covers a wide range of topics related to military procurement and international security, and specializes in reporting on the aviation sector. She is based in Milan, Italy.

米兰——德国迪尔防务公司周一宣布，拉脱维亚政府已与该公司签署了一份价值约 6 亿欧元（6.5 亿美元）的合同，购买该公司生产的 IRIS-T 中程防空系统。

迪尔公司在一份声明中表示，这项于11月30日签署的协议是波罗的海国家拉脱维亚“自30多年前独立以来最大的国防投资”。此前，该公司已于9月份与拉脱维亚和爱沙尼亚签署了一项框架协议。

“波罗的海两国联合采购同一种类型的防空系统，将使两国节省预算资金，促进波罗的海地区防御方面的相互协调，以及系统和组件的互操作性，”迪尔在 12 月 4 日的声明中写道。

根据合同，里加将于 2026 年开始接收 IRIS-T 组件。

面对俄罗斯对波罗的海安全的威胁，拉脱维亚和爱沙尼亚政府已公开表示有兴趣联合采购此类武器，以建立多层次防空系统。

波兰国家安全局局长雅采克·谢维拉最近在接受波兰媒体采访时警告说，北约东翼各国大约有三年时间有效地为可能与俄罗斯发生的冲突做好准备。

据迪尔公司网站介绍，IRIS-T SLM 旨在消除各种敌方空中系统（如飞机、巡航导弹、无人机和直升机）构成的威胁，其作战范围可达 40 公里（25 英里）。

乌克兰军方表示，其部队正在高效利用捐赠的IRIS-T导弹系统保护人口中心。上个月，德国国防部宣布，作为价值超过14亿美元的军事援助计划的一部分，将向基辅增派四套IRIS-T SLM导弹系统。

据报道，迪尔公司在拦截俄罗斯无人机和导弹方面取得的成功，已成为其销售宣传的重点。在宣布拉脱维亚订单时，该公司表示，该系统“在乌克兰的出色表现令人信服”。

伊丽莎白·戈斯林-马洛曾任《防务新闻》欧洲通讯员。她的报道涵盖军事采购和国际安全等广泛领域，尤其擅长航空领域的报道。她常驻意大利米兰。