France and Italy supply SAMP/T air defense system to Ukraine

La Stampa reports about it.

According to the publication, a French-Italian anti-aircraft missile complex has arrived in Ukraine, and 20 local specialists will be responsible for its maintenance.

While there is no official announcement from Italy or France at the moment, considering President Zelenskyy's visits to these countries and the usual military aid packages that accompany such visits, we can expect further information soon.

The SAMP/T system is a digitized anti-aircraft missile system that requires a smaller personnel count compared to the American Patriot system. With only 14 people per surface-to-air missile (SAM) and four launchers, the Armed Forces can potentially learn to operate the SAMP/T faster and with greater ease. 

It has a range of over 100 km for aircraft and up to 30-35 km for ballistic missiles, with the ability to engage targets at heights of up to 20 km. The combat part of the anti-aircraft missile weighs around 15-20 kg. 

The system was developed by the European consortium Eurosam, which includes MBDA Italy, MBDA France, and Thales. It is currently in service with Italy, France, and Singapore.

Experts believe that the presence of such systems on the battlefield will provide a significant advantage for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

• In early February, reports from Italy indicated that the Italian-French air defense system SAMP/T would be deployed in Ukraine within seven to eight weeks. 

• However, leaked Pentagon documents in mid-April suggested that the delivery of the SAMP/T air defense system to Ukraine might be delayed beyond the promised timeframe.