Germany Commissions Thyssenkrupp for Submarine Missile Development

The German military has tasked Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems and Diehl Defence with developing the Interactive Defence and Attack System for Submarines (IDAS), a guided missile system designed for air defence from submerged submarines.

The Federal Ministry of Defence's Procurement Office finalized the contract for this system at the end of 2024. The IDAS project involves integrating guided missiles with a specialized ejection unit, enabling submarines to counter aerial threats and detection attempts effectively.

According to Naval News, IDAS is launched from a standard torpedo tube using an ejection container the size of a heavyweight torpedo, making it compatible with existing submarines. It uses an imaging Infra-Red (IR) seeker based on the proven IRIS-T missile and a fiber optic link. The link enables real-time video transmission to the operator, allowing target verification, flight parameter adjustments, and missile control until the endgame phase. This also allows the missile to be redirected or the mission aborted if necessary.