France Orders Four Additional SAMP/T NG Systems to Strengthen Its Air Defenses.

In response to the growing number of aerial threats, France is strengthening its surface-to-air defenses by ordering four additional SAMP/T NG systems, bringing the total number of planned sections to twelve.

A SAMP/T (Mamba) surface-to-air missile launcher equipped with vertical launch canisters for Aster interceptor missiles. The system forms the basis for the newer SAMP/T NG air and missile defense system. (Picture source: Eurosam)

France is strengthening its surface-to-air defenses to protect its military bases, strategic sites and deployed forces against attacks involving aircraft, drones and missiles. The planned French total now stands at twelve sections, ten of which are expected to be delivered by the end of 2030.  

The SAMP/T NG is intended to succeed the Franco-Italian SAMP/T Mamba system, already used for air defense, with some units also deployed in Ukraine. It combines a modernized radar, a new fire control system and missiles from the Aster family. In the French configuration, Thales' Ground Fire 300 (GF300) uses an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar operating in the S-band. Its manufacturer advertises 360-degree coverage and a detection range of up to 400 km, depending on the targets and conditions. This figure refers to the radar's detection range, not the missile's interception range.

Related News: Europe conducts first firing tests of SAMP/T NG air defense system in France and Italy

Another major upgrade involves the Aster 30 B1NT missile, equipped with a new Ka-band radar seeker. According to MBDA, this improves its ability to track fast and maneuvering targets, including theater ballistic missiles. Its advertised range against certain aerial threats is in the 150 km class, although this does not guarantee the interception of every type of missile. Qualification firings were conducted in 2024 and 2025, and in December 2025, OCCAR confirmed tests involving interconnected radar, command post and launchers. These results alone do not demonstrate the interception of every type of hypersonic threat the system is designed to counter. For military operators, the advantage lies in obtaining an actionable air picture earlier and coordinating multiple interceptions when different threats approach simultaneously. A mobile system can be deployed to protect an air base, military port or deployed force, rather than remaining tied to a fixed site. The radar and launchers, however, remain subject to terrain constraints, data link limitations, available missile stocks and close-in protection requirements. Faced with large-scale attacks by inexpensive drones, systematically firing long-range interceptors would be neither economical nor appropriate. 

France is therefore preparing a multilayered air defense architecture. Under a contract awarded in April 2026, the Organisation for Joint Armament Co-operation (OCCAR) tasked Eurosam with integrating VL MICA launchers into the SAMP/T NG command-and-control system. The objective is to select a short- or long-range response depending on the threat, while reserving Aster missiles for the most demanding engagements. The French defense procurement agency (DGA) plans full integration across eight sections starting in 2030, with possible future integration of Mistral 3 systems and counter-drone capabilities. This capability remains under development and has not yet been deployed across the force.

The new order was placed by DGA with the Eurosam consortium, comprising MBDA France, MBDA Italy and Thales, through OCCAR. It follows the modernization of eight SAMP/T sections ordered in 2024 and raises the planned inventory of the French Air and Space Force to twelve sections. Under the revised procurement schedule, ten sections are expected to be delivered by the end of 2030, with the remaining two planned by 2035. A first SAMP/T NG system was delivered to the French Air and Space Force's Military Air Expertise Center (CEAM) in April 2026 for technical and operational evaluation. The value of the order for the four additional sections has not been disclosed.

This expansion will also have to take the industrial schedule into account. The Franco-Italian development program was launched in 2021, and Italy equips its version with Leonardo's Kronos radar, which differs from the GF300 intended for France. Testing is progressing, but the number of systems delivered and missile production rates will determine the defensive coverage actually available. A 2025 French parliamentary report warned of delivery delays and the financial imbalance between the cost of attacks and that of interceptions. Increasing the number of batteries does not eliminate the need to strengthen missile stocks, detection capabilities and passive defenses.

The significance of the program extends beyond French borders. Denmark selected the SAMP/T NG in 2025, while a Franco-Ukrainian declaration issued in July 2026 envisaged the possible acquisition of four systems, with funding still to be arranged. This cooperation could promote greater interoperability within European air defense, but purchase intentions do not amount to deliveries. For France, the four additional sections ordered represent a concrete expansion of its future surface-to-air defense capabilities. Their operational impact will depend on meeting delivery deadlines, battery configurations and their integration into a multilayered defense network.

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