As part of the European Sky Shield Initiative, Switzerland has purchased five IRIS-T SLM ground-based air defense systems.
On behalf of the Swiss arms procurement agency, the German arms procurement organization inked the purchase agreement with Diehl Defence, the German producer of IRIS-T. The amount purchased is kept secret. Nonetheless, as part of the 2024 armament program, Bern authorized a credit guarantee of 660 million Swiss francs (832 million USD) for medium-range air defense. The IRIS-T SLM, the air defense variant of the IRIS-T air-to-air missile, has a missile launcher, radar, and command and control system.
The system has the ability to counter threats from cruise missiles, fighter jets, and helicopters at altitudes of up to 20 kilometers (12.5 miles) and at ranges of 40 kilometers (25 miles).
Including Ukraine, Germany, Estonia, Latvia, Slovenia, and Bulgaria, eight additional nations have chosen the scheme in addition to Switzerland.
