The IRIS-T SLM missile is an extended-range variant of the original IRIS-T SLS missile, which in hardware terms is indistinguishable from its air-launched counterpart. The SLM missile has a maximum range of 40 km and a maximum altitude of 20 km. (Janes/Christopher Petrov)
The Bulgarian parliament on 6 August ratified a bill proposed by its defence committee to fund the purchase of the IRIS-T SLM (Surface-Launched Medium-Range) air-defence system for the country's armed forces. The purchase will be carried out under the European Sky Shield Initiative.
According to documentation published by the Bulgarian parliament's defence committee on 1 August, negotiations on IRIS-T procurement involving the Bulgarian and German defence ministries and Diehl Defence took place from 22 to 24 July. The deal entails the purchase of one IRIS-T SLM fire unit and will also include an option until 2032 to purchase five additional IRIS-T SLM fire units as well as one IRIS-T SLX (Surface-Launched Extended-Range) fire unit.
The cost of the deal so far is limited to purchasing one IRIS-T SLM fire unit, listed as EUR182 million (USD199 million), excluding value-added tax (VAT). Some of this cost will be funded by compensation received for Bulgarian donations of military equipment to Ukraine in 2024. The compensation amount is expected to increase as more donations are planned in 2025.
The Bulgarian Ministry of Defence had not replied to Janes questions about the procurement, including who would compensate for Bulgarian donations to Ukraine, at the time of publication.
For more on the development of the IRIS-T air-defence system, please see ILA 2024: Diehl Defence unveils IRIS-T SLX missile system.
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