France and Italy order new SAMP/T air defense systems

BELFAST — France and Italy this week announced separate orders for SAMP/T NG (Next Generation) air defense systems, giving the two nations the capability to intercept hypersonic missiles and neutralize aircraft threats at greater range with the European-made system.

Sebastien Lecornu, France’s defense minister, said in a translated social media post on Tuesday that Paris “will have the first of 8 SAMP/T NG systems” in 2026, as originally committed to in the Military Programming Law — a long-term defense spending plan. He also noted that France will receive 12 of the upgraded systems by 2035.

Lecornu was attending a two-day European air and missile defense conference held in Rome where his Italian counterpart Guido Crosetto also shared, per local reports, that Italy has ordered 10 SAMP/T NG systems. Neither Lecornu nor Crosetto disclosed acquisition costs.

French manufacturer Thales, which makes the air defense platforms under the Eurosam joint venture with European missile house MBDA of which Italy’s Leonardo is a part, welcomed the French order, calling it “an additional step towards the renewal of the European Medium-Range Air Defence ground capabilities.”

Despite the obvious boost for local industry, France remains strongly opposed to the German-led European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI), centered around development of a common ground-based air defense (GBAD) capability.

Berlin has proposed German-made IRIS-T short-range air defense equipment and the US medium-range Patriot PAC-3 system for ESSI. French President Emmanuel Macron has, however, openly criticized non-European solutions, calling them, “less manageable, subject to timetables, queues, priorities … and too dependent on the outside world.” Paris continues to back SAMP/T for a European-wide requirement, and in parallel refuses to join ESSI. Similarly, Italy has not signed on.

Thales also noted that during the air and missile defense conference, Lecornu had “officialised a contract” with the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) to launch production of seven additional SAMP/T NG sections for the French Air and Space Forces.

It added that the sections to be constructed for France will be based on its GF300, multifunction, active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, together with the company’s New Generation Engagement Module (ME-NG).

“The ME-NG is based on a common core hardware and software architecture able to integrate specific national requirements and different radars, to coordinate or to integrate various weapon systems based on diverse munitions,” said the manufacturer.

According to Eurosam company literature [PDF], SAMP/T NG is “capable of simultaneously engaging any combination of air and missile threats further than 150km,” and works off a detection range greater than 350km.

The truck-based system is also equipped with six vertical launchers, each fitted with eight Aster missiles. The NG configuration will be specifically equipped with newer Aster 30 Block 1 New Technology munitions. A production contract for the weapon was signed for last year by Eurosam and OCCAR, on behalf of Italy and France.

An entire SAMP/T NG platform, compromising launchers, missiles, an AESA radar (GF300 or Leonardo’s Kronos Grand Mobile High Power type in the case of Italy) and an engagement module, can be deployed in under 30 minutes.

Standard SAMP/T systems supplied by France and Italy to Ukraine and since deployed against Russia are capable of striking targets in excess of 100km.