RV Connex and Diehl Defence Sign Contract for Delivery of JRV-01 Target Drones for IRIS-T Live Firings

May 22, 2025 - RV Connex, a Thailand-based defence and security company, has further intensified its partnership with Germany’s Diehl Defence, a leading system house for ground-based air defence, guided missiles, and ammunition. The two companies have signed a contract for the first delivery of target drones and associated services to support live firing tests with Diehl Defence’s IRIS-T air-to-air missile.

The contract also includes 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 and services will be used to enhance the realism of IRIS-T live firing tests and to improve the customer’s training readiness 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. With this collaboration, Diehl Defence can now offer cost-efficient, comprehensive solutions for live firings without the need for complex test infrastructure and will be able to provide full support for IRIS-T customers during live firings. First test firings of IRIS-T on JRV-01 drones are already scheduled. Both companies plan to expand their cooperation and range of services in the future.

The partnership between RV Connex and Diehl Defence 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 Southeast 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 announced a support contract with the RTAF for IRIS-T.

This latest agreement marks a significant milestone in the strategic cooperation between RV Connex and Diehl Defence, reinforcing their shared commitment to advancing air defence solutions worldwide.