Hensoldt will supply Ukraine with an additional batch of TRML-4D radars for the IRIS-T SLM air defense system
The TRML-4D radar is the “core” of the IRIS-T SLM SAM, so the terms announced by the manufacturer directly indicate the timing of Ukraine’s receipt of additional German air defense systems
German company Hensoldt announced in its announcement that it has received an order from Diehl Defense for the production of four TRML-4D radars. This radar is used in the IRIS-T SLM medium-range anti-aircraft missile system.
And, as Hensoldt CEO Thomas Mueller announced, it is an order for Ukraine. The announced terms of the contract are until the end of 2024. Thus, the four additional IRIS-T SLM anti-aircraft missile systems themselves will not be manufactured before this deadline.
It is worth noting that Berlin announced in May of this year that it would send four additional IRIS-T SLM systems to Ukraine as part of a record-breaking German aid package worth 2.7 billion euros. But in addition to the complexes themselves, each of which includes one IRIS-T SLM, there were also five other such radars. This is due to the fact that TRML-4D can be used separately as a surveillance radar without being linked to weapons.
The cost of supplying four radars for the IRIS-T SLM was announced by Hensoldt as “mid-double digits in millions,” meaning a range of approximately EUR 40-70 million for four radars. However, according to the company’s statement in mid-May, the price tag for the order for six TRML-4Ds was announced at more than 100 million euros. Thus, the average cost of a single radar is likely to be around 17 million euros.
For this money, the TRML-4D, which uses an active phased array antenna on gallium nitride elements and digital beamforming technology. The range of target detection is 250 km at an altitude of up to 40 km, with up to 1500 objects simultaneously tracked. The minimum effective area of the object detected by the radar is 0.01 square meters. m, which allows tracking stealth cruise missiles and small drones.
