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SAMP/T

Franco-Italian surface-to-air missile system

Franco-Italian surface-to-air missile system

FieldValue
nameSol-Air Moyenne-Portée/Terrestre
imageItalian Army - 4th Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment "Peschiera" SAMPT missile launch.jpg
captionItalian SAMP/T launcher firing an Aster missile
originFrance / Italy
typeMobile surface-to-air missile/anti-ballistic missile system
is_vehicleyes
is_UKyes
used_by*See *
warsRusso-Ukrainian war
designerEurosam (joint venture between Thales and MBDA)
design_date1990
manufacturerEurosam (joint venture between Thales and MBDA)
production_date1997–present
variants*See *
crew
vehicle_range* SAMP/T: 100 km (max) against air-breathing targets
* SAMP/T NG: 150 km (max) against air-breathing targets<ref name":1"/
speedAster missile: 5560 km/h
  • SAMP/T NG: 150 km (max) against air-breathing targets

SAMP/T (Sol-Air Moyenne-Portée/Terrestre, French for "Surface-to-Air Medium-Range/Land-based") is a mobile surface-to-air missile (SAM) system developed as a joint French-Italian project. It is capable of defending against aircraft, cruise missiles, and tactical ballistic missiles. In September 2025, Denmark announced that it would be purchasing two SAMP/T systems as the long-range component of its integrated ground-based air defence systems.

Development

Design of SAMP/T started in 1990 with the goal of producing an all-European long-range ground-based air defence system as a counterpart to the US Patriot missile system. Production began in 1997 and the first systems were delivered to the French and Italian armies for operational evaluation in 2008. Full operation began in France in 2010 and Italy in 2012.

Design

The SAMP/T system is designed around 4–6 launchers holding eight vertically-launched Aster 30 missiles each, one multi-function radar, and one engagement module for battery command and control. A crew of 14 is required per four-launcher battery. All components are designed to be mounted on 8x8 trucks, making the system fully air-transportable by C-130 or similar aircraft.

SAMP/T is capable of tracking 100 aerial targets and engaging 10 simultaneously. The use of Aster 30 missiles provides SAMP/T with the ability to intercept tactical ballistic missiles and hypersonic cruise missiles. It can engage air-breathing targets and cruise missiles at ranges of up to 100 km, and can intercept tactical ballistic missiles fired from more than 600 km away when provided long-range cueing data from an external system.

SAMP/T NG was designed with an extended engagement capability, providing 360° and full zenithal coverage. It can be purchased with the French Thales GF 300 radar or the Italian Kronos GMHP radar. SAMP/T NG can engage air-breathing targets at a range of 150 km and at 25 km altitude, and it can track up to 1000 targets. The system has a typical crew of 20 per battery, although once the system is encamped only three people are required to operate it.

Variants

SAMP/T

Original system developed by Eurosam and purchased by France and Italy.

SAMP/T NG

Next generation system with greater range and radar coverage purchased by France and Italy. Available since 2025, first deliveries in 2026.

Ukraine will receive eight SAMP/T NG air defense systems ahead of France and Italy according to French President Emmanuel Macron. President Macron said “We agreed that this system [SAMP/T NG], after development, will be initially deployed in Ukraine and will operate in Ukraine.”

Operational history

Russo-Ukrainian war

France and Italy each donated a SAMP/T system in 2023 to Ukraine to aid its defence during the Russo-Ukrainian War, with Italy announcing a third system would be donated in 2025. On 11 March 2025, it was claimed that a SAMP/T system had shot down a Russian Sukhoi aircraft.

According to the French Army, Ukrainian SAMP/T air defence systems have outperformed Patriot missiles in intercepting Iskander ballistic missiles, after Russia modified the Iskander's flight profiles.

Operators

Current

;France :French Air and Space Force: :* 7 SAMP/T fire units :* 8 SAMP/T NG fire units on order ;Italy :Italian Air Force: :* 3 SAMP/T fire units :* 10 SAMP/T NG fire units on order ;Singapore :Republic of Singapore Air Force: :* 2 SAMP/T fire units ;Ukraine :Ukrainian Air Force: :* 2 SAMP/T fire units donated by France and Italy

Future

;Denmark :Royal Danish Air Force: :* 2 SAMP/T NG fire units ordered in September 2025

;Ukraine :Ukrainian Air Force: :* 8 SAMP/T NG fire units are to be donated by France and Italy

Potential sales

;Belgium :Belgium is looking for a medium range air defence system, the Patriot PAC-3+ and the SAMP/T NG are competing. ;Luxembourg :Luxembourg looking for a medium range air defence system, and is in discussion with France. ;Europe :Around 10 countries might purchase the SAMP/T NG.

References

References

  1. Ruitenberg, Rudy. (2025-09-12). "Denmark picks French-Italian SAMP/T air defense system over Patriot".
  2. "SAMP/T Air Defense System (France & Italy) – Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance".
  3. "ASTER 30 {{!}} MBDA".
  4. "ASTER – SAMP/T".
  5. "Ground Systems Solution".
  6. (June 2023). "Aster SAMP/T NG datasheet". MBDA UK.
  7. Ruitenberg, Rudy. (2024-09-18). "France and Italy order upgraded SAMP/T air-defense systems".
  8. CYRIL BARABALTCHOUK. (2024-12-23). "Ukraine to Be First in World to Receive French-Italian New SAMP/T NG Missile Defense Shield".
  9. Кушніков, Кирило. (2025-03-11). "Yuriy Ihnat: Ukrainian SAMP/T has already shot down a Russian Sukhoi aircraft". Militarnyi.
  10. (2025-07-16). "Ukraine to Receive Third SAMP/T Battery in October, But Will There Be Enough Missiles to Use It? {{!}} Defense Express".
  11. CYRIL BARABALTCHOUK. (2024-12-23). "Ukraine to Be First in World to Receive French-Italian New SAMP/T NG Missile Defense Shield".
  12. (2025-09-13). "SAMP/T Aster 30 MAMBA".
  13. (2023-12-01). "Singapore Achieves Full Operational Capability with SAMP/T Aster 30 Ai".
  14. (2025-09-15). "Thales is a major contributor to the success of SAMP/T NG selected by the Danish Ministry of Defence".
  15. "France to Deliver First Next-Generation SAMP/T Air Defense System to Ukraine in 2026".
  16. (2025-09-24). "SAMP/T NG: MBDA and Eurosam face a historic opportunity in Europe".
  17. (2025-12-15). "MBDA et Thales poussent leurs pions en Europe face au Patriot américain".
  18. (2025-12-15). "MBDA et Thales poussent leurs pions en Europe face au Patriot américain".
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This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

missile-defense anti-ballistic-missiles-of-france thales-group mbda military-equipment-introduced-in-the-2000s surface-to-air-missiles-of-france weapons-of-france weapons-of-italy
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