Next IRIS-T SLM milestone for the German Navy: Diehl Defence and BAAINBw agree on adaptation development for the F125 frigates

Diehl Defence and the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology, and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) have signed a contract for the adaptation development of IRIS-T SLM. The aim is to make the system mission-capable on the German Navy’s F125 frigates.

Under the terms of the contract, Diehl Defence will be responsible for building prototypes and conducting comprehensive test firings. These steps are essential to ensure the seamless integration and maximum performance of the IRIS-T SLM system within the existing architecture of the F125 class.

In October 2025, Diehl Defence already participated in the “Maritime Firing Exercise 2025” with a navalized system demonstrator of the IRIS-T SLM ground-based air defence (GBAD) system. The Anti-Air Warfare (AAW) module was integrated on the C-deck of the frigate “Baden-Württemberg” (Type F125) and implemented –from concept to firing – in less than ten months. The system met all of the established test and evaluation objectives.

Through the adaptation development now underway, Diehl Defence is driving forward the expansion of the German Navy’s capabilities in a targeted and rapid manner. The integration of IRIS-T SLM on the F125 frigates ensures that the Navy will be able to counter future airspace threat scenarios using state-of-the-art technology.

The signing of this contract is the result of a successful and close collaboration between the Diehl Defence project teams and the BAAINBw. For the German defence industry, this agreement marks a significant milestone. By customizing this state-of-the-art system, Diehl Defence makes a significant contribution to ensuring the long-term air defence capabilities of the German Navy.

photo courtesy Diehl Defence