Diehl Defence and Germany’s Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology, and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) signed a contract on October 2 to adapt the IRIS-T SLM air-defence system for the German Navy’s F125 frigates.
Diehl said the development work covers prototype construction and comprehensive test firings. The aim is to integrate the system within the frigates’ existing architecture and make it mission-capable at sea.
The Bundestag’s Budget Committee approved the maritime adaptation on September 23. Germany’s Federal Ministry of Defence said the frigates’ air-defence self-defence capabilities needed to be expanded because of the current threat situation.
A navalised IRIS-T SLM demonstrator was tested aboard the frigate Baden-Württemberg during the German Navy’s Maritime Firing Exercise 2025 off Andøya, Norway. The exercise ran from October 13 to 24.
According to Diehl, the anti-air warfare (AAW) module was fitted on the ship’s C-deck, with work advancing from concept through firing in less than ten months. The company reported that the demonstrator achieved all established test and evaluation objectives.
The Bundeswehr reported three live missile launches at night, with shipboard radar data fed into the missile system’s software. It described this as the first functional connection between the ship’s sensors and the weapon system. All three missiles were fired as planned.
IRIS-T SLM has a range of around 40 kilometres and altitude coverage up to 20 kilometres.
The F125, also known as the Baden-Württemberg class, comprises four frigates. Its existing missile-based point-defence armament comprises 42 RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missiles. Baird Maritime’s review of the class’s final ship, Rheinland-Pfalz, details its equipment and armament.