Munitions

IRIS-T

Also known as
  • AIM-2000
  • IRIS-T AAM
  • IRIS-T missile
  • Infra Red Imaging System Tail/Thrust Vector-Controlled
  • Rb 98
  • Rb98

IRIS-T is a short-range imaging-infrared air-to-air missile developed through a European cooperation program with Diehl Defence as prime contractor. The missile is integrated with fighters including Eurofighter/Typhoon, Gripen, F-16, Tornado, EF-18, KF-21, and F-5E; Reuters reporting also documents Saudi Eurofighters using IRIS-T against drones fired from Houthi-controlled Yemen. Diehl describes the same air-to-air missile hardware as the effector in the short-range IRIS-T SLS ground-based air-defense system.

IRIS-T, Short-range air-to-air missile, Munitions
Image source: IRIS-T Air-to-Air Missile Wikimedia Commons

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Germany / European consortium
Built in
Germany
Type
Short-range air-to-air missile
Service note
2000s-present
Designer
Diehl Defence
Produced
2005-present

Specifications

Role
Short-range fire-and-forget air-to-air missile; surface-launched effector in IRIS-T SLS
Length
2,936 mm
Diameter
127 mm
Maximum range
Approximately 25 km
Maximum speed
Mach 3
Guidance
Imaging infrared seeker with intelligent image processing
Control
Thrust-vector and aerodynamic control
Targeting
Airborne radar or pilot helmet-sight target designation
Aircraft integration
Standard armament of Eurofighter/Typhoon and Gripen; integrated with F-16, Tornado, EF-18, KF-21, and F-5E
Surface-launched use
Employed in IRIS-T SLS for object and short-range protection
Production
Produced by Diehl Defence since 2005 with industrial partners from six European program nations
Carrier Aircraft

Official and manufacturer sources identify IRIS-T as fighter armament across European, U.S.-designed, and South Korean combat aircraft.

CarrierCarrier typeCarriage evidence
Eurofighter Typhoon, Twin-engine multirole combat aircraft, Aircraft & UAVsEurofighter TyphoonMultirole fighter aircraft

Diehl lists Eurofighter/Typhoon as standard IRIS-T air-to-air armament, and Bundeswehr material identifies IRIS-T AIM-2000 carriage on German Eurofighter combat aircraft.

Sources: Diehl Enhances IRIS-T Fighter Integration, Luft-Luft-Rakete IRIS-T AIM-2000

JAS 39 Gripen, Single-engine multirole fighter aircraft, Aircraft & UAVsJAS 39 GripenMultirole fighter aircraft

Saab says IRIS-T is integrated on Gripen E and notes the Swedish Air Force designation Rb98; Diehl also lists Gripen as standard IRIS-T armament.

Sources: Saab IRIS-T Product Page, Diehl Enhances IRIS-T Fighter Integration

F-16 Fighting Falcon, Multirole fighter aircraft, Aircraft & UAVsF-16 Fighting FalconMultirole fighter aircraft

Diehl lists F-16 among the aircraft platforms integrated with IRIS-T, and its guided-missile product tab lists F-16 among IRIS-T launch aircraft.

Sources: Diehl Enhances IRIS-T Fighter Integration, IRIS-T Guided Missile Product Tab

Panavia Tornado, Twin-engine variable-sweep wing multirole strike aircraft, Aircraft & UAVsPanavia TornadoVariable-sweep multirole aircraft

Bundeswehr material identifies IRIS-T AIM-2000 carriage on German Tornado combat aircraft, and Diehl includes Tornado in its IRIS-T platform list.

Sources: Luft-Luft-Rakete IRIS-T AIM-2000, Diehl Enhances IRIS-T Fighter Integration

F/A-18 Hornet (Tactical), Carrier-capable multirole strike fighter, Aircraft & UAVsF/A-18 Hornet (Tactical)Multirole strike fighter

Diehl uses the EF-18 designation in its IRIS-T platform list; this catalog link points to the F/A-18 Hornet family entry rather than the Super Hornet.

Sources: Diehl Enhances IRIS-T Fighter Integration

KAI KF-21 Boramae, Fighter aircraft, Aircraft & UAVsKAI KF-21 BoramaeFighter aircraft

Diehl reported a successful guided IRIS-T firing from a KAI KF-21 test aircraft in 2024 after earlier safe-separation testing.

Sources: KAI KF-21 Accomplished First Successful Firing of IRIS-T

Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter / Tiger II, Supersonic light fighter aircraft, Aircraft & UAVsNorthrop F-5 Freedom Fighter / Tiger IILight fighter aircraft

Diehl lists F-5E among the aircraft platforms integrated with IRIS-T.

Sources: Diehl Enhances IRIS-T Fighter Integration

Launch Systems

Diehl documents IRIS-T as both aircraft armament and a surface-launched effector in its ground-based air-defense family.

LauncherLauncher typeLaunch evidence
IRIS-T SLS, Short-range surface-to-air missile system, Air DefenseIRIS-T SLSShort-range ground-based launcher

Diehl describes IRIS-T SLS as using the same IRIS-T air-to-air missile hardware as a surface-to-air effector, with role-dependent software loaded during launcher preparation.

Sources: IRIS-T SLS Product Tab, IRIS-T Guided Missile Product Tab

Designations And Launch Roles

IRIS-T appears in public sources as a fighter missile, a national-service designation, and a surface-launched effector. This record keeps those uses separated so the baseline air-to-air missile is not confused with the larger IRIS-T SL family.

AIM-2000

Bundeswehr material uses IRIS-T AIM-2000 for the German short-range air-to-air missile carried by Eurofighter and Tornado aircraft.

Rb98

Saab identifies Rb98 as the Swedish Air Force name for IRIS-T and describes Gripen E integration.

SLS effector

Diehl says IRIS-T SLS uses the same IRIS-T air-to-air missile hardware for ground-to-air operations, with role-dependent software loaded during launcher preparation.

SLM boundary

IRIS-T SLM is adjacent family context but is not linked here as a launcher for the unchanged air-to-air missile because public product material treats SLM around the IRIS-T SL missile.

Timeline

IRIS-T Key Events

  1. Missile production begins

    Diehl says it has produced IRIS-T since 2005 in cooperation with industrial partners from the six European program nations.

    Sources: IRIS-T Guided Missile Product Tab

  2. Norwegian sea-target firing

    Diehl says the Norwegian Air Force demonstrated IRIS-T's ability to engage sea targets in a 2016 test firing.

    Sources: IRIS-T Guided Missile Product Tab

  3. Saudi IRIS-T replenishment approved

    Reuters reported that Germany approved 150 IRIS-T air-to-air missiles for Saudi Arabia to replenish stocks after Saudi Eurofighters had used the missile against drones fired from Houthi-controlled Yemen.

    Sources: Germany to resume arms deliveries to Saudi Arabia with Iris-T missiles, Germany approves the export of air-defense missiles to Saudi Arabia

  4. KF-21 guided firing announced

    Diehl reported that a KAI KF-21 test aircraft successfully fired an IRIS-T guided missile after an earlier safe-separation test.

    Sources: KAI KF-21 Accomplished First Successful Firing of IRIS-T

  5. Platform-independent integration partnership

    Diehl announced a partnership with MDSI to use PISAPS for faster IRIS-T integration on legacy aircraft and unmanned platforms that could not previously use the missile's full functionality.

    Sources: Diehl Enhances IRIS-T Fighter Integration

Media

IRIS-T Videos

IRIS-T Images

IRIS-T, Short-range air-to-air missile, Munitions - view 1
Source: AIM-2000 IRIS-T Wikimedia Commons
IRIS-T, Short-range air-to-air missile, Munitions - view 2
Source: IRIS-T Missile in EuroFighter Wikimedia Commons
Related Weapon Systems
IRIS-T SLS, Short-range surface-to-air missile system, Air DefenseAir DefenseIRIS-T SLSShort-range surface-to-air missile systemIRIS-T SLS is Diehl Defence's short-range ground-based member of the IRIS-T air-defense family, using the standard IRIS-T missile as a surface-to-air effector for a 12 km engagement layer. Diehl describes SLS as a mobile SHORAD system with launcher, sensor suite, and networked C2 that can operate alone or complement IRIS-T SLM; Germany has supplied SLS-related air-defense systems and missiles to Ukraine during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War.
IRIS-T SL, Medium-range surface-to-air missile, MunitionsMunitionsIRIS-T SLMedium-range surface-to-air missileIRIS-T SL is Diehl Defence's medium-range surface-launched missile for the IRIS-T SLM ground-based air-defense layer. It is separate from the short-range SLS effector, which uses the unchanged IRIS-T air-to-air missile; the SL round gives SLM its longer 40-60 km engagement envelope and 20 km altitude layer against aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles, drones, and guided weapons. Germany has supplied IRIS-T SLM missiles and IRIS-T SLM/SLS air-defense equipment to Ukraine during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War.
Eurofighter Typhoon, Twin-engine multirole combat aircraft, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsEurofighter TyphoonTwin-engine multirole combat aircraftThe Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine, canard-delta multirole fighter developed by the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and Spain and built through Airbus, BAE Systems, and Leonardo workshares. Cataloged conflict use spans RAF no-fly-zone, reconnaissance, and strike missions over Libya, coalition strike and ISR missions against the Islamic State, Red Sea strikes on Houthi military targets, and Royal Saudi Air Force combat missions in Yemen.
Paveway IV guided bomb, Dual-mode precision-guided bomb, MunitionsMunitionsPaveway IV guided bombDual-mode precision-guided bombPaveway IV is a Raytheon UK 500-pound-class precision-guided bomb built around GPS-aided inertial navigation, laser guidance, and an electronic fuze. It became a core RAF air-to-ground weapon after entering UK service in 2008, moved from Harrier and Tornado carriage to Typhoon and F-35B integration, and is documented in RAF counter-ISIS strikes, UK-led Red Sea Crisis strikes on Houthi military sites, and Saudi-led coalition air operations in Yemen.

Sources

IRIS-T Guided Missile Product TabPublisher: Diehl Defence | Note: Supports IRIS-T program background, prime-contractor context, air-to-air role, aircraft integration, production since 2005, and surface-launched use in IRIS-T SLS. | Accessed: 2026-07-04IRIS-T SLS Product TabPublisher: Diehl Defence | Note: Supports the relationship between IRIS-T and IRIS-T SLS, including the use of the same air-to-air missile hardware in the ground-to-air role. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Saab IRIS-T Product PagePublisher: Saab | Note: Supports Rb98 Swedish designation, Gripen E integration, consortium nations, Diehl as main contractor, and core missile specifications and background. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Luft-Luft-Rakete IRIS-T AIM-2000Publisher: Bundeswehr | Note: Supports AIM-2000 designation, German Eurofighter/Tornado carriage, short-range fire-and-forget air-to-air role, acronym, and seeker/control facts. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Diehl Enhances IRIS-T Fighter IntegrationPublisher: Diehl Defence | Note: Supports the current aircraft-platform integration list: Eurofighter/Typhoon, Gripen, F-16, Tornado, EF-18, KF-21, and F-5E. | Accessed: 2026-07-04KAI KF-21 Accomplished First Successful Firing of IRIS-TPublisher: Diehl Defence | Note: Supports AIM-2000 designation, KF-21 guided firing, prior safe-separation test, and broader integrated-platform context. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Germany to resume arms deliveries to Saudi Arabia with Iris-T missilesPublisher: The Straits Times / Reuters | Note: Supports 2014 Yemen Civil War direct use: IRIS-T air-to-air missiles fired by Saudi Eurofighter jets were used to shoot down drones fired from Houthi-controlled Yemen. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Germany approves the export of air-defense missiles to Saudi ArabiaPublisher: Associated Press | Note: Supports Saudi export and Yemen-war context for Germany's 2024 IRIS-T missile approval. | Accessed: 2026-07-04AIM-2000 IRIS-T Wikimedia CommonsPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports gallery image provenance; Wikimedia Commons marks the file as public domain. | Accessed: 2026-07-04IRIS-T Air-to-Air Missile Wikimedia CommonsPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports primary image provenance and CC BY-SA 3.0/GFDL licensing for an IRIS-T missile image. | Accessed: 2026-07-04IRIS-T Missile in EuroFighter Wikimedia CommonsPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports gallery image provenance for an IRIS-T missile on a Eurofighter; Commons lists CC BY-SA/GFDL licensing. | Accessed: 2026-07-04