“this is a totally new development project for us … [without] that much piggybacking on different things or from previous kinds,” a Nammo program manager said, describing the Norwegian firm's first steps toward a prototype rocket motor intended for a long‑range variant of the IRIS‑T air defense system.
Nammo's 'totally new' rocket motor project
Nammo, a Norwegian defense firm, has begun development work on a new prototype rocket motor engine conceived to power a long‑range variant of the German‑made IRIS‑T, the company told Breaking Defense at its multipurpose symposium in Raufoss. The program manager, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Nammo produces rocket motor engines for other munitions but characterized this effort as a fundamentally new program and said, “We will start building [a prototype] as soon as we can.”
Dual‑pulse concept and early prototype activities at Raufoss
At Nammo’s production site in Raufoss — more than 100 kilometers (62 miles) north of Oslo — the company expects to carry out early prototype activities for what it describes as a “dual pulse” concept. Those activities include static firings intended to validate engineering analysis and simulated modeling, with “adjustments” to be made if necessary, the program manager said. Nammo described the technical approach as designing a propellant with a specific thrust profile and dividing the rocket motor into two different sections as part of the dual‑pulse architecture.
This site is the portfolio.
OSINTSights runs on Cloudflare Workers, D1, R2, and Vectorize, with an AI pipeline on Hetzner ARM. Nubivance designed, built, and operates it. We do the same for clients.
See what we buildDiehl's IRIS‑T SLX schedule and capability claims
The Nammo work dovetails with plans from Diehl for a longer‑range IRIS‑T SLX variant. Alexander Linss, GBAD business unit executive at Diehl, said the company is targeting a first development or Safety Integrity Level (SIL) firing test of the surface‑launched IRIS‑T SLX in 2027, with serial production of the longer‑range missile reportedly slated for 2029. Diehl first unveiled the extended‑range interceptor at the 2024 Berlin Air Show.
Diehl and Nammo materials state the SLX variant can intercept targets at a range of 80 kilometers (50 miles), roughly double the capability of the SLM model, and that the SLX opens the way to engage enemy fighter jets, bombers, long‑endurance drones and support aircraft. Linss also noted that several SLX missiles can be added to a common launcher that can carry SLM missiles, enabling a “mixed” load, and that the SLX will rely on supporting equipment elements that already serve the SLM, including the system’s radar, a common tactical operations center and software.
Combat use of IRIS‑T SLS and SLM in Ukraine
Diehl figures cited by Linss attribute extensive combat use to the shorter‑range IRIS‑T SLS and SLM variants. He said Ukrainian forces have used both systems to destroy over 1,000 Russian targets since the outbreak of the war in 2022 and that the two interceptors have registered a hit rate of 95 percent during the conflict. Linss named key Russian targets allegedly met by the interceptors as Kh101 and 3M14 Kalibr cruise missiles and Shahed 136 drones.
Diehl CEO Helmut Rauch has said the SLX could lessen reliance on US‑produced Patriot missiles amid a shortage that has prompted Ukraine to plead with Western allies to donate Patriot stocks. Nammo’s program manager added that Nammo is “ramping up our volumes a lot” for the IRIS‑T SLS and IRIS‑T SLM rocket motor engine programs, calling those engines “very important” for Ukraine’s ground‑based air defense.
What this means for Nammo, Diehl, and European purchasers
- For Nammo: The firm is initiating a new, bespoke development effort rather than adapting prior programs, with early prototype work — including static firings and simulated modeling — scheduled at its Raufoss facility and a stated intention to build a prototype “as soon as we can.”
- For Diehl and Ukraine: Diehl’s public timeline (first SIL firing test in 2027, reported serial production in 2029) frames when SLX‑class interceptors could enter service; Diehl and its executives have positioned SLX as a potential way to reduce dependency on Patriot stocks amid shortages cited in the company’s statements.
- For European purchasers and initiatives: The SLM variant is already in service with Germany, Estonia, Latvia, Bulgaria, Sweden, Denmark and Switzerland and is a core part of the European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI); the SLX is presented as compatible with existing SLM support infrastructure, including radar and a common tactical operations center, and as capable of mixed loads on common launchers.
Breaking Defense accepted travel and accommodation from Nammo for the company’s symposium.
The immediate questions left on the table are operational and calendar‑based: whether Nammo’s prototype work at Raufoss and Diehl’s 2027 SIL test target will converge on a schedule that delivers SLX‑class interceptors in time to meet the demand signaled by combat use and Patriot shortfalls, and how quickly the dual‑pulse motor concept can be validated through static firings and modelling to meet those timetables.
