seeker with IRCCM (infrared counter counter measures) capability, similar performance and notably half the unit cost of the IRIS-T due to the development work that had already been completed on the missile body. In 1987 after years of silence on the program the US proposed a requirement that the weapon must use Sidewinder rails rather than the universal aircraft rail adaptor named the Missile Support Unit that had been developed, this forced a one year delay as the British, German and Norwegian proposals were redesigned then in late 1990 after German Reunification and fearing erosion of its industrial base the US again disruptively proposed it would choose the latest version of its existing Sidewinder design with increased maneuverability and IRCCM unless the European partners increased the US industrial workshare, this program was designated AIM-9X. The Sidewinder upgrade proposal however failed to interest the NATO buyers and in 1992 each ultimately went their separate ways with the UK the ASRAAM, France the MBDA Mica, US the AIM-9X and Germany elected to restart development on all but the seeker leading to the Iris-T. Development In 1995, Germany announced the start of the IRIS-T development, in collaboration with Greece, Italy, Norway, Sweden and Canada. Canada later dropped out, while in 2003 Spain joined as a partner for procurement. The German Air Force took first delivery of the missile in December 2005. The respective share of the development of the IRIS-T are: Germany 46% Italy 19% Sweden 18% Greece 13% 4% split between Canada and Norway. Missile characteristics In comparison to the AIM-9M Sidewinder, the IRIS-T has higher ECM-resistance and flare suppression. Improvements in target discrimination allow for 5 to 8 times longer head-on firing range than the AIM-9M. It can engage targets behind the launching aircraft, made possible by extreme close-in agility, allowing turns of 60 g at a rate of 60°/s via thrust vectoring and LOAL capability. The IRIS-T is able to intercept fast-moving and miniature targets, such as air-to-air/surface-to-air missiles and air-to-surface/surface-to-surface missiles and rockets, UAV/drones, and cruise missiles. To improve the probability of a direct hit, the missile is equipped with an active radar proximity fuze. The IRIS-T has the unique ability, in comparison to other similar missiles such as the AIM-9X, to target and shoot down other air-to-air and surface-to-air missiles, thus offering a 360° defence capability. Surface launched variants of the IRIS-T, the IRIS-T SLS and IRIS-T SLM,