{"id":28118598,"date":"2026-10-15T10:32:22","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T08:32:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/iris-t-slm-german-air-force-first-live-firing-crete-namfi-2026\/"},"modified":"2026-10-15T11:03:50","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T09:03:50","slug":"iris-t-slm-german-air-force-first-live-firing-crete-namfi-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/iris-t-slm-german-air-force-first-live-firing-crete-namfi-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"IRIS-T SLM: German Air Force Fires It Live for the First Time on Crete"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style>\r\n\r\n\r\n<!-- mfsh:top -->\r\n\r\n<style>\r\n.mfsh-trigger{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:10px;height:44px;padding:0 18px;margin:0 0 26px;border:2px solid 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In mid-October 2026, soldiers of Air Defence Missile Group 61 from Todendorf launched a live IRIS-T SLM missile at the NATO Missile Firing Installation (NAMFI) on Crete, completing the system's operational certification. Diehl Defence announced the result on 14 October.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is the same missile system Ukraine has used against Russian cruise missiles and drones since 2022, and that more and more European countries are ordering. Germany's own air defence has now passed the same test.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f4f6f9;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:18px 22px;margin:22px 0 28px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.7\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:700;color:#0d1117\">Quick Facts<\/p><ul style=\"margin:0;padding-left:18px\"><li><strong>System:<\/strong> Diehl Defence IRIS-T SLM, medium-range ground-based air defence<\/li><li><strong>Unit:<\/strong> Flugabwehrraketengruppe 61 (Air Defence Missile Group 61), Todendorf<\/li><li><strong>Location:<\/strong> NATO Missile Firing Installation (NAMFI), Crete<\/li><li><strong>When:<\/strong> Mid-October 2026, announced 14 October<\/li><li><strong>Milestone:<\/strong> First Luftwaffe live firing and system certification<\/li><li><strong>Fire unit components:<\/strong> TRML-4D radar, Common Tactical Operations Center, launchers<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">The Certification Shot<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The shot was a system certification, so it tested the whole fire unit and not just the missile: the Hensoldt TRML-4D radar, the Common Tactical Operations Center (CTOC) and the launcher had to find, track and engage a target together. Germany has no range big enough for live medium-range shots, which is why its crews fire on Crete.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7\"><em>&ldquo;The successful system certification shot confirms that IRIS-T SLM works reliably in operation&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Helmut Rauch<\/strong> &mdash; CEO of Diehl Defence, company statement, 14 October 2026 (translated from German)<\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After the certification, the battalion moved into a wider tactical exercise, Spartan Arrow according to Augen geradeaus!, linking IRIS-T SLM with German and Swedish Patriot batteries and the Stinger-armed LeFlaSys short-range system. Airbus said it was the first time an all-German crew had used a German SAMOC operations centre to coordinate IRIS-T SLM in a live firing. Sweden, which chose IRIS-T SLM in 2025, fired its first independent Patriot shot inside the same network.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/iris-t-slm-launcher-green-ila-2024.jpg\" alt=\"IRIS-T SLM launcher in green paint at ILA Berlin 2024\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">An IRIS-T SLM launcher at ILA Berlin 2024. Each launcher carries eight missiles. Photo: Boevaya mashina \/ CC BY-SA 3.0 DE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Why It Took Two Years<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The procurement office BAAINBw handed over Germany's first fire unit in August 2024, and initial operating capability followed in September that year. In the meantime the Luftwaffe trained crews, tested integration with Patriot and built up the command structure, but a live shot under certification conditions needs a slot on a NATO range and a complete, validated system. Germany ordered six fire units in its first batch from the special defence fund, and further orders are expected.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">The Army Takes a Share<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The firing also marks a handover. During the exercise, Luftwaffe chief Lt. Gen. Holger Neumann handed the LeFlaSys system to the Army's Lt. Gen. Christian Freuding, with the full transfer due by spring 2027. The Army plans to operate IRIS-T SLM alongside the Luftwaffe, with two fire units coming over from 2028 as an initial capability. On 7 October, Freuding said the Army would introduce IRIS-T SLM together with the Luftwaffe faster than previously planned.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0 6px\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/GBDmnKd8mBI\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><p style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin:0 0 24px;font-style:italic\">Diehl Defence's overview of the IRIS-T SLM medium-range ground-based air defence system.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Sources: Diehl Defence; Augen geradeaus!; ESUT; Defence Blog; Airbus Defence and Space<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<!-- mfsh:bottom -->\r\n\r\n<button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-trigger mfsh-bottom\" data-mfsh-placement=\"bottom\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share this story<\/button>\r\n\r\n<!-- \/mfsh:bottom -->\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<style>.mfq{margin:34px 0 8px}.mfq h2{font:26px\/1.3 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117;padding-top:22px;margin:0 0 6px}.mfq .qa details{border-top:1px solid #5C91FF;margin:0;padding:0}.mfq .qa details:last-of-type{border-bottom:1px solid #e2e7ee}.mfq .qa summary{cursor:pointer;list-style:none;display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center;gap:16px;padding:22px 26px;font:18px\/1.7 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117}.mfq .qa summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mfq .qa summary::after{content:\"+\";font:24px Helvetica,sans-serif;color:#3568e0;flex:0 0 auto}.mfq .qa details[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mfq .qa details:hover summary{color:#3568e0}.mfq .qa .a{font:16px\/1.7 \"Gilroy regular\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#454e5e;padding:0 26px 24px}.mfq .qa .a a{color:#3568e0}@media(max-width:680px){.mfq .qa summary{padding:18px 14px;font-size:17px}.mfq .qa .a{padding:0 14px 20px}}<\/style>\r\n\r\n\r\n<section class=\"mfq\"><h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2><div class=\"qa\"><details open><summary>When did the German Air Force first fire IRIS-T SLM?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">The German Air Force fired its first live IRIS-T SLM missile in mid-October 2026 at the NATO Missile Firing Installation (NAMFI) on Crete, as the system certification shot. Diehl Defence announced the result on 14 October 2026.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Which unit fired the Luftwaffe's first IRIS-T SLM missile?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">The shot was fired by Flugabwehrraketengruppe 61 (Air Defence Missile Group 61), based in Todendorf in northern Germany, using a complete fire unit with a TRML-4D radar, a Common Tactical Operations Center and launchers.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>What is IRIS-T SLM?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">IRIS-T SLM is a medium-range ground-based air defence system made by Diehl Defence. It fires the IRIS-T SL missile from truck-mounted launchers and is used by Germany, Ukraine and a growing number of other countries against aircraft, cruise missiles and drones.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Why does Germany test air defence missiles on Crete?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Germany has no firing range large enough for live medium- and long-range air defence shots, so its crews use the NATO Missile Firing Installation (NAMFI) on Crete, Greece.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>How many IRIS-T SLM fire units has Germany ordered?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Germany ordered six IRIS-T SLM fire units in its first batch from the special defence fund. The first was handed over in August 2024, and the German Army will also operate the system, receiving two fire units from 2028.<\/div><\/details><\/div><\/section>\r\n\r\n\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"When did the German Air Force first fire IRIS-T SLM?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The German Air Force fired its first live IRIS-T SLM missile in mid-October 2026 at the NATO Missile Firing Installation (NAMFI) on Crete, as the system certification shot. 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The first was handed over in August 2024, and the German Army will also operate the system, receiving two fire units from 2028.\"}}]}<\/script><div style=\"background:#f0f4ff;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:16px 20px;margin:32px 0 8px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:600;color:#333\">Related Posts<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/cobra-600-airlas-diehl-polaris-iris-t-drone-first-flight-2026\/\">Cobra 600 First Flight: Germany's IRIS-T Missile Drone Takes Off<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/corendon-xr456-squawk-7500-eurofighters-nuremberg-2026\/\">Corendon XR456: Eurofighters Escort a 737 Squawking 7500 Into Nuremberg<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/spectra-praetorian-rafale-typhoon-self-protection-suites\/\">SPECTRA and Praetorian: Europe's Fighter Self-Protection Suites<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Air Defence Missile Group 61 fired a live IRIS-T SLM missile at NAMFI on Crete, certifying the system two years after the first fire unit arrived.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":28118422,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[670],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28118598","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>IRIS-T SLM: Luftwaffe&#039;s First Live Firing on Crete | MiGFlug<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The German Air Force has fired IRIS-T SLM live for the first time at NAMFI on Crete, completing system certification. 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