As a direct response to the situation in Ukraine, Diehl Defence plans, according to sources in the media that quote the company’s Chief Programme Director, Harald Buschek, to significantly ramp up the manufacturing of IRIS-T air defence systems and missiles.
According to Reuters, he told journalists at an airbase in Todendorf, located in the northern German region of Germany, that the company expects to build at least eight air defence systems in 2025, whereas the production of three to four systems was initially intended for this year.
According to Bushke, the production of missiles has increased by a factor of three this year. It will increase by another factor of two the next year, culminating in a projected output of between 400 and 500 missiles beginning in 2024. He stated that these measures are necessary to satisfy the growing demand for weapons created by the situation in Ukraine.
Midway through August, Germany shipped two initial launchers of the IRIS-T air defence system, with the SLS upgrade, and around 4,300 155-millimetre smoke rounds to Ukraine.
