French President Macron unveils deployment in Ukraine of SAMP/T air defense missile system.

Paris, France, June 20, 2023: During a speech, at the 2023 Paris Air Show, French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed that Ukraine has not only received but successfully deployed the Franco-Italian SAMP/T air defense missile system.
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SAMP/T NG New Generation French/Italian air defense missile system at Paris Air Show 2023. (Picture source Army Recognition)

On February 3, the defense chiefs of France and Italy gave the green light for the transfer of the SAMP/T air defense missile system to Ukraine. Subsequently, Ukrainian units embarked on training exercises commencing February 5. The French Ministry of Defense underscored that the state-of-the-art GM200 radar station from Thales would be included in the delivery.

As we reported on January 3, 2023, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani confirmed that the SAMP/T air defense missile system, a collaborative effort between Italy and France, was slated for delivery to Ukraine.

SAMP/T, standing for Sol-Air Moyenne Portée Terrestre (or Ground to Air for Land Medium Range in English), is a Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missile system, the brainchild of European consortium Eurosam. It offers comprehensive air defense against a plethora of airborne threats, including aircraft, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and cruise missiles. The primary aim of SAMP/T is to shield military forces, vital infrastructure, and populated areas from air raids.

Armed with Aster 30 missiles, the SAMP/T can intercept aerial threats from up to 300 kilometers away and altitudes as high as 30 kilometers. The mobile system can be readily transported to diverse locations as required and boasts both passive and active electronic countermeasures to withstand enemy jamming and spoofing attempts.

In addition, the SAMP/T operates with an upgraded version of the Arabel radar that offers improved performance and advanced combat capabilities against high-speed and high-altitude targets. This system can concurrently track 100 targets and manage the uplink transmission of command update data to 16 missiles