IRIS-T

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IRIS-T
IRIS-T
Basic data
Function	Air to Air Missile
Manufacturer	Diehl BGT Defence
Unit cost	400,000 €
Entered service	December 2005
General characteristics
Engine	Solid-fuel rocket
Launch mass	87.4 kg
Length	2936 mm
Diameter	127 mm
Wingspan	447 mm
Speed	Mach 3
Range	~25 km
Flying altitude	Sea level to 20,000 m
Warhead	HE/Fragmentation
Guidance	Infrared
Fuzes	Impact and active radar proximity fuze
Launch platform	Users: Germany: Typhoon Greece: F-16 Italy: Typhoon Norway: F-16 Sweden: Gripen Austria: Typhoon Spain: F-18, Typhoon

IRIS-T (Infra Red Imaging System Tail/Thrust Vector-Controlled) is a German-led program to develop a short-range air-to-air missile to replace the AIM-9 Sidewinder. Any aircraft capable of carrying and firing Sidewinder will be capable of launching IRIS-T.

1 History
2 Development partners
3 Variants
- 3.1 IDAS
- 3.2 IRIS-T SL / SLS
4 Combat performance
5 Orders
6 See also
7 External links

In the 1980s, West Germany was a partner with the United Kingdom in the ASRAAM program with responsibility for seeker development. But after German reunification in 1990, Germany found itself with large stockpiles of the Russian Vympel R-73 missiles (NATO reporting name: AA-11 Archer) carried by the MiG-29 Fulcrum and concluded that the AA-11's capabilities had been noticeably under-estimated. In particular, it was found to be both far more manoeuvrable, and far more capable in terms of seeker acquisition and tracking. These conclusions led Germany to question certain aspects of the design of ASRAAM related to the airframe which was a British responsibility. Of particular concern was the lack of thrust vectoring to aid manoeuvrability in close in air combat. When these concerns were raised, Germany and Britain could not come to an agreement about the design of ASRAAM, so in 1990 Germany withdrew from the ASRAAM project while Britain resolved to find another seeker and develop ASRAAM according to the original requirements.

In late 1990, the US partnership expressed similar concerns and embarked on an upgrade to the existing Sidewinder design to provide increased manoeuvrability and IRCCM (infrared counter counter measures) performance, i.e. measures to counter infrared countermeasures (IRCM). This program was designated AIM-9X.

In 1995, Germany announced the IRIS-T development program, in collaboration with Greece, Italy, Norway, Sweden and Canada. Canada later dropped out.

Workshare arrangements for IRIS-T development are:

Germany 46%
Italy 19%
Sweden 18%
Greece 13%
4% split between Canada and Norway.

In 2003 Spain joined as a partner for procurement.

The Luftwaffe took first delivery of the missile on the 5th of December 2005.

Main article: IDAS (missile)

The IDAS variant is a navalized version of the missile, is also being developed for the new Type 212 submarine of the German Navy. IDAS is supposed to engage air threats, small or medium surface vessels or near land targets.

In addition to the MEADS program, the German air force plans to integrate a land-launched version of the missile, called IRIS-T SL / IRIS-T SLS, into this program.

Extreme close-in fight capability (60 g, 60°/s) and 5 to 8 times longer head-on firing range than Sidewinder AIM-9L.