(Bloomberg) — Chancellor Olaf Scholz took delivery of an advanced air-defense system for the German armed forces and confirmed orders for five more, as well as an additional 17 units for Ukraine to help repel Russian attacks.
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Speaking Wednesday at an air force base on the north coast near Kiel, Scholz said the procurement for the Bundeswehr of the six IRIS-Ts, manufactured by Diehl Defence GmbH & Co. KG, will play a key role in strengthening the European Sky Shield Initiative. So far, 21 nations including the UK and Turkey have signed up to the German-led project, designed to make the continent less vulnerable to air strikes at a time of increasing geopolitical tension.
The IRIS-Ts earmarked for Ukraine are on top of seven already delivered, which have helped bring down more than 250 Russian rockets, drones and missiles and saved many lives, Scholz said. Four will be sent before the end of this year and the rest starting next year, he pledged.
“This shows that German support for Ukraine is not letting up,” Scholz told guests including Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.
“We have planned ahead and secured contracts and financing in a timely manner so that Ukraine can continue to fully rely on us in the future,” he added. “And that also shows that our industry is highly efficient — when it has the necessary planning security.”
Despite mounting budget constraints, Scholz’s government has been one of the most generous backers of Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion, supplying or promising materiel worth some €28 billion ($31 billion), behind only the US in value.
By 2026, Ukraine will have received 24 IRIS-T systems from Germany, 12 of the medium-range version and 12 shorter range, according to a government official.
The six IRIS-Ts for the Bundeswehr will cost about €950 million, added the official, who asked not to be identified discussing confidential planning.
While Scholz has earned praise for bolstering Ukraine’s air defenses, he has also been criticized for refusing to supply the government in Kyiv with longer-range missiles. The concern expressed by the German leader is that the country could be drawn into a wider conflict if weapons it provides are deployed against Russian targets.
In his speech Wednesday, Scholz pushed back against criticism of his government’s decision to allow the US to station conventional long-range weapons in Germany from 2026.
The issue featured in campaigning for two regional elections in eastern Germany on Sunday, in which populist parties that oppose the move performed strongly.
“Our sole aim is to deter possible attackers,” Scholz said, addressing “everyone who has doubts about this decision.”
“Any attack on us must pose a risk to the attacker,” he added. “Our aim is to secure peace here and prevent war — and nothing else.”
For the German government’s list of its military support for Ukraine, click here.
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