German Air Force Fires IRIS-T SLM for the First Time Over Crete, Completing NATO Certification
Germany’s Air Defence Missile Group 61 carried out the Luftwaffe’s first live firing of the IRIS-T SLM medium-range air defense system on October 14, 2026, at the NATO Missile Firing Installation (NAMFI) on the Greek island of Crete. The shot marks the final step in the system’s operational certification process.
The Todendorf-based unit fired during the multinational Spartan Arrow 2026 exercise, which brought together roughly 650 personnel and 300 vehicles from German and Swedish air defense forces, with logistical support from the Greek armed forces.
Two years from delivery to certification
Germany received its first IRIS-T SLM fire unit in August 2024, and the Luftwaffe declared Initial Operating Capability in September 2024. Full certification, however, required a live-fire shot with real munitions — something only NAMFI, Europe’s sole range suited for this class of long-range air defense testing, can provide. Germany has no comparable facility on its own territory.
Diehl Defence CEO Helmut Rauch said the shot confirmed that IRIS-T SLM performs reliably in the field, reporting a high hit rate. Lieutenant Colonel Björn Klarl, commander of Air Defence Missile Group 61, credited the unit’s personnel for the result.
Six fire units ordered, more than 50 planned
Germany ordered six IRIS-T SLM fire units through the special defense fund established after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Military sources cited in German reporting say the total is expected to grow past 50 units, split between the Luftwaffe and a newly forming army air defense unit. Ten countries currently operate the system, including Ukraine, where it is used against Russian missile and drone strikes.
Pistorius: “A live shot is more than a successful test”
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius visited Crete for the firing and met his Greek counterpart, Nikos Dendias. “A live shot is more than a successful test,” Pistorius said, framing alliance security as a matter of being able to rely on one another. He described Greece as a dependable partner.
The exercise also featured live firings by German and Swedish Patriot batteries and short-range LeFlaSys (Stinger) systems. In a symbolic sequence, the short-range Ozelot air defense system was formally handed from the Luftwaffe to the Army, marked by the Luftwaffe’s final shot followed immediately by the Army’s first.
NATO’s only range for this class of testing
NAMFI remains the only site in Europe where allied forces can conduct long-range, live-fire air defense testing, making the annual Crete exercises a structural bottleneck — and a strategic checkpoint — for the continent’s layered air defense buildup. The IRIS-T SLM certification fits into a broader NATO effort to strengthen multi-layer air and drone defenses along the alliance’s eastern flank.
Turkey’s own domestically developed systems — the short-to-medium-range HİSAR-A/O and the long-range SİPER — follow a similar logic within NATO’s air defense architecture, aiming to reduce reliance on imported systems while building interoperable national capability.
A layer between Patriot and point defense
IRIS-T SLM is a medium-range system, effective out to roughly 40 kilometers with infrared-guided missiles, filling the gap between Patriot’s long-range coverage and short-range point defense. That niche has made it a heavily used component of Ukraine’s air defense architecture, protecting city centers and energy infrastructure against Russian cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and drones.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, European states have significantly increased air defense spending. Under the German-led European Sky Shield Initiative, a number of NATO members are planning to acquire shared air defense systems, including IRIS-T SLM, making the Crete certification a technical reference point for other participating countries as well.
Sources
- German Federal Ministry of Defence (bmvg.de), “Spartan Arrow 2026: Pistorius auf Kreta”, October 14, 2026 — https://www.bmvg.de/de/aktuelles/spartan-arrow-2026-luftverteidigung-bodengebunden-6164464. Used for the minister’s visit and official statements.
- ESUT (European Security and Technology), “Bundeswehr: IRIS-T SLM besteht Systemzertifizierung auf Kreta”, October 14, 2026 — https://esut.de/2026/10/meldungen/75806/bundeswehr-iris-t-slm-system-kreta/. Used for certification details and the Diehl Defence statement.
- Augen geradeaus (Thomas Wiegold), “Zwei Jahre nach Übergabe an die Bundeswehr: Erster scharfer Schuss der Luftwaffe mit Iris-T SLM”, October 14, 2026 — https://augengeradeaus.net/2026/10/zwei-jahre-nach-uebergabe-an-die-bundeswehr-erster-scharfer-schuss-der-luftwaffe-mit-iris-t-slm/. Used for independent confirmation of the event.
