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IRIS-T is not a Game Changer
It is the future changer
The May 16th assault on Kyiv, launched by Russia, unleashed 18 missiles from various angles and multiple locations, leaving the world in disbelief. It was a staggering event that not only shocked the world but also rattled the global defense industry. The aftermath of this attack served as the impetus for my article titled “Patriots Put an End to Russia’s Arms Export Industry”.
Yes.
It was bad.
It was very bad for Russia.
Despite possessing the capability to produce approximately 100 missiles per month, Putin’s military never again attempted an assault of such magnitude on Kyiv following the May 16th debacle. Instead, Russian missile targets shifted to areas beyond Ukraine’s air-defense umbrella.
Securing a vast expanse of 500,000 square kilometers with air-defense presents a formidable challenge. Achieving uniform coverage across all regions is an impractical goal, inevitably leading to gaps that could be exploited by the Russian military. While much attention, including my own, often centers on Patriots in discussions of Ukraine’s air-defense, the German-manufactured IRIS-T shines as a star in its own right.
It was the arrival of IRIS-T air defense systems in Ukraine on October 10th last year that…