Egypt Air defence strengthened with IRIS-T SLM acquisition
The First Batch of the IRIS-T SLM meduim-range air defense system has been delivered to Egypt a few months ago. Egypt signed a contract to purchase seven batteries of the IRIS-T SLM and an additional ten IRIS-T SLX Long-range GBAD system batteries were received.
The IRIS-T SL will significantly boost the Egyptian Air Defense Forces by having a layered and integrated air defense network coverage against any aerial threats within different ranges/altitudes.
The Egyptian IRIS-T SL GBAD contract will likely include 10 IRIS-T SLX Long-range GBAD system, 7 IRIS-T SLM meduim-range GBAD system, and 6 IRIS-T SLS short-range GBAD system.
The IRIS-T SLM meduim-range GBAD system has an effective range of 40km while the IRIS-T SLX Long-range GBAD system has an effective range of +80km/altitude of 30km with a dual-mode seeker for the missile.
The IRIS-T SLX and SLS contract was recently approved by the German government.
The IRIS-T SL (Surface Launched) is a new, mobile, medium-range surface-to-air guided missile designed and developed by Diehl BGT Defence to meet future medium-range air defence needs of the German Air Force.
IRIS-T SL is an advanced version of the IRIS-T air-to-air guided missile, which entered service in December 2005.
The new missile is effective against all types of aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles, guided weapons, air-to-surface missiles, anti-ship missiles, anti-radar rockets and large-calibre rockets. It also has high probability of kill against unmanned aerial vehicles, unmanned combat aerial vehicles and other small manoeuvring threats at very-short and medium-range distances.
The IRIS-T SL missile is equipped with a global positioning system (GPS) / inertial navigation system (INS) technology for autonomous navigation.
A radiofrequency (RF) data link is incorporated to transmit virtual target data from an external radar to the missile during the flight. A high-precision passive infrared seeker is incorporated to provide missile guidance, increased countermeasure resistance and high target accuracy.
Egypt has been upgrading its air defences capabilities, and in mid-2017 began receiving S-300VM/Antey-2500 surface-to-air missile systems from Russia. The S-300VM is the export version of the S-300 system.
It can engage four targets out to 200 km and altitudes of up to 25 000 metres. Egypt also ordered Tor-2ME surface-to-air missiles from Russia.
Last year, the United States supplied Egypt with excess air defense units including the Chaparral air defence system.
The deal involves the supply of parts to maintain Egypt’s Chaparral antiaircraft missile units currently deployed along the nation’s border.
The new GBAD system will work in tandem with the recently acquired French-made Thales Ground Master 400 (GM400) AESA air defense radars. These long-range, mobile, 3D radar system has a maximum range of up to 515Km.
Likewise in 2017, the Egyptian Armed Forces took delivery of a new advanced 3D advanced early warning surveillance radar called 59N6E Protivnik-GE 3D from Russia.
