Included in the contract are furthermore services for weapon airworthiness certification projects. This first delivery of JRV-01 target drones follows the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding by both companies in November 2023 that led the way to this deepened cooperation. Both companies will now commence the common evaluation of the system.
RV Connex offers modern target representation systems such as the JRV-01 target drone system as well as all required services for its use. The JRV-01 target drone as well as the services will be used for enhancing the realism of IRIS-T live firing tests and for preparing the costumer’s training state to meet evolving security demands. Diehl Defence will benefit from the JRV-01 capabilities, providing a highly realistic threat simulation and ensuring that Diehl Defence’s testing protocols achieve the highest standard of reliability and performance. Together with RV Connex, Diehl Defence can now offer cost-efficient complete solutions for live firings without the need of complex test infrastructure and will be able to provide full support for live firings for IRIS-T customers. First test firings of IRIS-T on JRV-01 drones are already firmly planned. Both companies plan to expand their cooperation and range of services in the future.
The partnership between Diehl Defence and RV Connex initially addresses the Asian market, but has the potential to be expanded to other markets worldwide. IRIS-T is a 5th-generation short-range air-to-air missile, fully integrated into Eurofighter/Typhoon, Gripen, F-16, EF-18, F-5E and Tornado. Currently, the integration of the IRIS-T missile into the Korea Aerospace Industries, Ltd. (KAI) KF-21 fighter aircraft is ongoing. Following this integration, the Republic of Korea signed the first contract with Diehl Defence in 2024 for the procurement of IRIS-T air-to-air missiles.
Helmut Rauch, Diehl Defence CEO, said: “I am proud to expand our presence in Asia in partnership with RV Connex of Thailand. We are looking back at 15 years of successful operations in the country, and I am convinced that there is more success for us in Asia to come.”
Diehl Defence has already been present in East and South East Asia for many years, notably by providing the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) with IRIS-T missiles since 2013, and by cooperating with Korea Aerospace Industries, Ltd. (KAI) for the integration of IRIS-T on TA-50/FA-50 and KF-21 aircraft. Most recently in October 2024, Diehl Defence has announced a support contract with the RTAF for IRIS-T.