Diehl Defence says new version of IRIS-T system could reduce need for Patriot missiles

NUREMBERG, Germany, July 7 (Reuters) - German missile maker Diehl Defence is developing a longer-range variant of its IRIS-T air defence system that could reduce reliance on scarce Patriot interceptor missiles, CEO Helmut Rauch said on Tuesday.

The IRIS-T SLX is being developed as a complement to the existing IRIS-T SLM system, of which 20 units have been delivered to Ukraine so far, Rauch told a press conference for the Diehl industrial group's 2025 results.

He declined to comment on total delivery figures, saying only that they have increased 20-fold since 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine and spurred Europe to boost defence spending after years of under-investment.

GULF STATES ARE ALSO INTERESTED

Twenty-one countries have ordered the IRIS-T system, most recently Switzerland, Sweden and Denmark, according to Rauch.

Demand for such systems has also increased among Gulf states as a result of the Iran war and Diehl Defence has held initial talks with representatives from the region, Rauch said. 

Saudi Arabia has been a customer for more than a decade. 

Diehl Defence reported a 28% rise in revenue to €2.33 billion ($2.66 billion) last year, with the division making up 43% of the wider Diehl industrial group's sales.

POSITIVE FCAS COLLAPSE

Rauch also said the collapse of a Franco-German flagship effort to ​develop a next-generation combat jet could have been the right outcome. 

"If the industry partners are not a good fit for cooperation, then I believe it is better to cancel such a project and make a certain fresh start," Rauch said.

Diehl expects to be involved in the weapons systems of any successor programme and was one of several defence companies to submit a position paper on a sixth-generation fighter jet project to the German government last month.

($1 = 0.8744 euros)

(Reporting by Joern Poltz in Nuremberg, Germany, Writing by Miranda Murray; editing by Barbara Lewis)