In Germany, officials say they’re planning to send Ukraine new air defence systems.
Known as IRIS-T SLMs, they’re used to “protect the population, important buildings, objects as well as ground troops against attacks from the air”, according to Diehl BGT Defence, their manufacturer.
This is exactly the sort of system Ukraine has been asking for since the beginning of this conflict.
The system uses GPS and INS navigation, and receives frequent target positional data from its base station, guiding it toward the threat.
It also has an infrared seeker as an additional feature and is effective against helicopters, aircraft, cruise missiles, air-to-surface weapons, and anti-ship weapons. Crucial to all this is how many will be delivered – and when. It’s all part of the gradual Westernisation of Ukraine’s armed forces, following Russia’s invasion in February.
Currently, Ukraine has Soviet-era surface-to-air (SAM) systems, comprising S-300 for long-range and Buk-M1 SAMs for shorter-range. The German system would be a significant upgrade.
The US has provided the greatest amount of weaponry so far – totalling more than $17bn (£15bn), while the UK has supplied the country with the Starstreak anti-aircraft missile system, and other systems, as part of an assistance package worth £2.3bn.
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Source: bbc.com