Airbus Defence and Space and Diehl Defence signed an agreement to strengthen their cooperation in integrated air and missile defense systems. The companies announced the agreement at the ILA Berlin Air Show 2026.

The partnership builds on the companies' existing collaboration on the IRIS-T SLM ground-based air defense system. Airbus Defence and Space provides command and control solutions, while Diehl Defence handles the overall system including effectors and launchers.

The expanded cooperation aims to identify product enhancement opportunities and may include establishing a joint "battle lab" development environment. The partnership seeks to integrate command and control capabilities with Diehl Defence's effectors to create defensive systems that meet NATO and European Sky Shield Initiative requirements.

The IRIS-T SLM system has been adopted by multiple countries including Germany, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Slovenia, Sweden, and Switzerland. The system has been used in Ukraine, according to the companies.

"Airbus continues to shape the future of Integrated Air and Missile Defence by combining our battle-proven and NATO-certified Command and Control system with Diehl Defence's equally proven IRIS-T SLS/SLM family," said Michael Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space.

Helmut Rauch, Diehl Defence CEO, stated the companies can provide solutions for customer requirements in integrated air and missile defense.

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