Samp-T / Armyinform.com.ua
In January, it became known that France and Italy were preparing to transfer the SAMP/T air defense system to Ukraine and had agreed to purchase 700 Aster-30 anti-aircraft missiles. On June 19, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that the SAMP/T air defense system is now operational in Ukraine. This information was reported by LB.ua citing Rai.News.
«I am pleased to be able to inform you, together with my Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni, that the Franco-Italian SAMP/T is now deployed and operating in Ukraine, where it protects key sites and lives,» the French president said during a speech in Paris.
About SAMP/T
SAMP/T is a ground-based air defense missile system developed by the European consortium Eurosam, which includes MBDA Italy, MBDA France, and Thales. The system is capable of destroying enemy aircraft within a range of up to 100 km and ballistic missiles within a range of up to 25 km, at the same altitude. It can launch all its Aster-30 missiles simultaneously in a single salvo, completing the launch within 10 seconds.
«SAMP-T is one of the best air defenses. Also, other missile defense systems are available today. Our partners have heard us and are giving us more and more of these systems – for air and missile defense. For example, Patriot PAC 3 and SAMP-T strike both aerodynamic and aeroballistic targets. They can target aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles, and drones within a range of up to 150 km. This is quite a long distance,» said Yuriy Ihnat, a spokesman for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, on Suspilne TV.
He further mentioned that the S-300 systems can engage targets at a maximum distance of 75 km, while the BUK M1 systems can engage targets at 40 km. These systems are also capable of intercepting ballistic threats within a range of up to 40 km.
As a reminder, following the Russian attack on the morning of June 20, Yuriy Ihnat, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force Command, explained that Ukraine lacks comprehensive air defense capabilities to protect the entire territory from Russian attacks. Therefore, the Shahed-136/131 drones launched by Russian forces were able to reach Lviv during the night.
