Overview
- The Estonian Air Defence Wing received the first IRIS‑T SLM battery that arrived at Ämari Air Base on June 22, 2026, giving Estonia the ability to engage aircraft, helicopters and cruise missiles at roughly 40 km range and 20 km altitude.
- The system was procured jointly with Latvia from Germany's Diehl Defence through the Estonian Centre for Defence Investments and is the first of three contracted firing units, with the remaining two scheduled for delivery in 2027.
- Estonian officials say the mobile IRIS‑T SLM is combat proven in Ukraine and was chosen because its infrared seeker and mobility help intercept cruise missiles and drones while making batteries harder to target.
- Commanders caution that months of training, integration and force generation are needed before the battery can be deployed to field positions and contribute to daily air-defence operations.
- Beyond immediate defensive gains, the delivery changes the air-defence geometry on NATO's eastern flank and could force adversary aircraft and missiles to alter approach routes, while rising European demand has strained Diehl's production pipeline.