German Military Loses Advanced “Iris-T” Missile, Fears It May Fall Into “Enemy” Hands

(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — The German Armed Forces have reportedly lost an “Iris-T” missile, raising concerns among authorities about the possibility of this advanced missile technology falling into the hands of entities considered enemies of the state.

According to a Business Insider report, the loss of the “Iris-T” missile was only discovered during a routine check at a barracks in North Rhine-Westphalia undergoing construction.

During the transfer of materials, workers noticed discrepancies between the missile’s identification number and the inventory records.

There is speculation within the German Armed Forces that the missile may have been accidentally shipped to the United States, where the German Air Force frequently conducts training exercises.

The missing missile raises security concerns, particularly regarding the highly secretive encryption system it employs, and the potential for it to end up in hostile hands.

 

The “Iris-T” missile is valued at approximately US$271,000 (RM1.3 million).

 Military analysts state that the missile system, whether in its ground-to-air or air-to-air variant, is among the most sophisticated weaponry in the German Armed Forces’ arsenal.

 The “Iris-T” missile system was developed by the German defense company, Diehl Defense.

 The ground-to-air variant of the “Iris-T” missile has been one of the weapon systems supplied by Germany to Ukraine to counter Russian missile attacks.

A senior defense official reported that the air defense system utilizing the “Iris-T” missile has been operational in Ukraine since October 2022 and has successfully neutralized 110 targets.

 

The official noted that the air defense system has a 100% success rate against Russian “Kalibr” cruise missile attacks on Ukraine.

 In an early 2023 attack on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, the “Iris-T” air defense system reportedly intercepted 13 Russian-launched cruise missiles simultaneously.

 Last year, Diehl Defense announced plans to increase the production of its weaponry, including the “Iris-T” missile, to meet the growing demand stemming from the conflict in Ukraine.

This is why Germany is concerned about the incident of the missing “Iris-T” missile and the risk that its advanced technology might fall into Russian hands, who would likely use it to enhance their missile technology.

The “Iris-T” missile system employs an infrared homing tracking system and is equipped with a solid fuel rocket, enabling it to fly at speeds up to Mach 3 and maneuver swiftly towards its target.

 

The missile’s operational range for short to medium-range air defense is about 40km, with the capability to reach altitudes up to 20,000 meters.

It can intercept fast-moving, small targets such as drones, missiles, rockets, and various other threats.

The “Iris-T” system is particularly suited as a point defense to protect high-value assets. – DSA