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Diehl Defence, a unit of the closely held manufacturer Diehl Stiftung in Germany, received a €600 million ($650 million) order from Latvia for air-defense missiles. The order comes as Eastern European countries bolster their military capabilities following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The order is for Diehl’s Iris-T medium-range air defense system, the company announced on Monday. It marks Latvia’s “biggest defense investment since its independence more than 30 years ago,” according to Diehl.
The company will begin deliveries of the missile system in 2026. Latvia will train military personnel on the system and upgrade its infrastructure in preparation for the delivery, Diehl said.
Image: Diehl Defence
The Iris-T system has a range of 40 kilometers (24.9 miles) and a maximum altitude of 20 kilometers.
The order for the air-defense system follows a framework agreement that Latvia, Estonia and Diehl Defence signed in September.